High School Revisited
by xBroken-Glassx
Summary: Sort of a High School Musical 4. Troy is put in an uncomfortable position when he feels he should propose to Gabriella. Meanwhile, Ryan comes back from Julliard to try to forget about a past relationship. Not a Troyella. Eventually Tryan.
1. Flukes

**A/N:** I got this idea during the summer. I started writing it during August, but then was on a hiatus at the beginning of September. Still on hiatus due to writer's block and being busy, but I'll upload the chapters that I have. Second note, I beg of all of you to read past the first chapter. I'm aware that this part is boring but all first chapters tend to be boring (that doesn't mean all tho, there are exceptions). There was a few things I was trying to accomplish in this chapter and those were: being realistic to the characters, laying down groundwork to build the story off of, and explain details in the movies and prompt my story. And although it's a pain for me to write something dull such as that (and a much bigger pain for the reader to read it) I do ask that you stay patient and bear with me for a bit. Other than that, Enjoy!

**Pairings:** there's kind of a mix of a bunch of pairings, but there's only a few I focus on in depth. Troyella (Troy/Gabriella), Chaylor (Chad/Taylor), one-sided Ryelsi (Ryan/Kelsi), friendship hurt/comfort Rypay (Ryan/Sharpay), Tryan (Troy/Ryan), Zekepay (Zeke/Sharpay), Ryan/OC, random Ryella (Ryan/Gabriella)

**Rating:** T for language, slash, and slight adult themes

**Disclaimer/Credits:** I do not own High School Musical. It is a product of Disney.

Much of my writing is inspired, so here's the stories/authors, that inspired me:

Fickle by Old Fiat We're Tryan This Christmas by comet80 The Board of Secrets Trilogy by samlover14 Lockdown by Tertiary Genesis

Font style inspired by Light Catastrophe

I suggest you check their stories out!

**H**_i_g**h **_S_c**h**_o_o**l **_R_e**v**_i_s**i**_t_e**d**

**C**_h_a**p**_t_e**r** _O_n**e**_:_ F**l**_u_k**e**_s_

All things considered, Troy Bolton had adjusted fairly well to the University of California. Just as planned, the school gave him the balance of basketball and theater he had been looking for. His new teammates welcomed him with open arms, only to be even more adrenalized by his proficiency and agility at the sport, while the talented group in the theater program were amazed by his ability to sing and dance.

In between the practices and rehearsals, he somehow found the time to drive up to Stanford on the weekends to visit his much-loved Gabriella Montez. And together, they often spent their time with picnics and walks around campus – anything that provided them the chance to catch up on the latest news in each other's lives. Gabriella was, of course, collecting a remarkable reputation with her astounding skills in the scientific field. Her success already left him breathless and dumbfounded, often making him feel he was utterly stupid compared to the academic protégé. Nevertheless, he always cherished each second with her and resented the trip back to Berkeley when the weekend would finally come to a close.

It wasn't until the spring of his second year at Berkeley, however, did things start to change in his relationship with Gabriella.

It all started at one of his last performances for the spring musical. Well, technically it started even before then: way back to before he even met Gabriella. It was something that came off discreetly, even to him. It wasn't an event, a place, or a person. It was something that had always been a part of him, although discouraged and tucked away. It wasn't something he ever acknowledged, rather finding bliss in ignorance than coming to terms with…himself. And if, ever, he was shown a glimpse of it, he cast the thought aside, calling it a "moment of insanity" or something else with the same absurdity.

Even after he had met Gabriella, that same part of him made itself known. Inconspicuously, of course, but expressed in the ups and downs in their relationship. Each time they had walked away from one another, part of it had been because of this…_emotion_. If described, Troy could admit it was like a yearning some days. A yearning for something more than what he already had. Like when he had been working for the Evans' that summer before his senior year. The distance he put between his friends and Gabriella had been encouraged by this feeling. Luckily, it hadn't come across as directly that summer as it had in the past.

Troy couldn't admit it, not even to himself. As if doing so would make it true, and not doing so wouldn't. If the block he had put between his friends that summer had lasted any longer, maybe that part of him would've expressed itself more vibrantly than before, not allowing him to deny it any longer. For that's what he needed: time and space to understand himself better. To have it finally be explained to him why sometimes he went through some "fluke hormonal" things. One of these such occasions being when he was in fourth grade, he had had a childhood crush on his student teacher (he hadn't called it a crush though, but now that he thought about it, that was what it was). Fresh out of college, Mr. Carlton served as Troy's aide in helping him understand plant science. Always supportive, never lecturing, and never-ending patience made Troy become infatuated with him, even though he knew nothing would come of it. Looking back, Troy always waved it off, saying he was too young to know better.

And although the attraction had been suppressed throughout his adolescence, there were a few times where it would slip through the cracks. Not always as crushes, but as unnoticeable as needing a break from his friends and, more importantly, of his love interests. He always blamed it on a sport, or a scholarship, or a job, but it wasn't quite as simple as that. So far, though, no one had bothered to read in between the lines.

As to what happened that spring of his second year of college, one of these "flukes" or "moments of insanity" started up once again. Not specifically on _just_ one of the days of his performance, but starting around that time and growing gradually as time progressed.

Of course, Gabriella came to the show. She had brought him a bouquet of flowers and remained as supportive as ever. To his surprise, Chad Danforth had also come to see him. At the end of the show, Chad congratulated him and gave him crap of when U of A kicked Berkeley's butt earlier in the year. Troy pretended to get defensive, saying "we let you off easy" but then gave his friend a brotherly hug, offering him to join he and Gabriella to dinner.

"Man, you know I'd like to," Chad replied. "But I've got finals coming up this next week, so I gotta be back as soon as I can. It was nice seeing you bro." He clapped him on the back and began to leave before turning around. "You are coming back to Albuquerque for the summer though, right?" Troy turned to Gabriella, who merely smiled.

"Yeah, I guess I'll be around," he replied.

"Cool, we'll hang out then," Chad said, before continuing to walk away.

"You'll come with, right?" Troy asked, turning to Gabriella. She laughed, and nodded.

"Sure thing wildcat," she then stopped herself. "I mean, golden bear." Troy winced. The new mascot didn't hold that special ring his high school mascot did.

"I'll always be a wildcat," he assured her. She giggled some more.

"You want me to go get the car?" She wondered.

"Sure," he said. "I have to change out of my costume anyway." He then left towards the costume room while she left to the parking lot.

As a graduation present, Troy's parents had gotten him a 2007 Chevy Impala. His poor pickup really couldn't handle anymore long trips, especially from California to New Mexico. He had nearly totaled it picking up Gabriella from Stanford and trying to get her back in time for the spring musical that last year of attending East High. He hadn't had the nerve, though, to toss it in the junkyard. So it remained parked in his parent's garage, untouched, until summer when he'd work on it moderately, thinking maybe he could still sell it if he fixed the poor old car up a little.

When Troy exited the building, he found the Impala waiting by the curb, Gabriella switching from driver to shotgun. He walked over, still adjusting his clothes to make sure he didn't put them on funny, and got in on the other side.

"So where are we going for dinner," she asked as he got in. He smirked a lopsided smile, replying:

"I'll surprise you."

She shook her head as he drove off, turning up the radio and singing along. After a while of him trying to make parodies of the new pop songs, she joined in as well. It had been a while since they had sung together. Not since high school. And it felt good, the singing reminding her of what it had been like the first time they had sang together at the ski resort. It was hard to believe she had met the love of her life through karaoke.

**x **_x _x **X **_x _x **x**

After a pleasant meal at the _Berkeley Rotisserie_, it was nearly time for Gabriella to be heading back to Stanford. Both weren't pleased with the idea, but she had to be heading back before she became too tired to drive.

"Are you going to come see me next weekend," she asked when they had parked in front of his dormitory building, where her Honda Accord sat not too far away.

"Of course," he replied, smiling. She leaned in to kiss him; only he turned slightly so she kissed his cheek instead. She frowned a little, but didn't question the motion before getting out of his Impala and walking over to the Accord and driving off.

Troy sat in the car a while longer, not understanding his own response. But then he waved it off, thinking it was another fluke or something.


	2. All Things Fabulous

**A/N:** groundwork is so boring. Sorry if nothing's really interesting in these first parts, because it's all groundwork. (well, obviously it's not very interesting since a lot of people stopped reading after just chapter 1). but i think things will get better as things progress (really hard you know, trying to keep it all realistic to the story without boring people to death)

Other notes: I don't know anything about yoga. So yeah, sorry if I put things in there that are wrong. Oh, and I think there's some misinformation. I don't believe Mr. Evans is Ryan and Sharpay's step-father in the movies, but there's nothing there to prove or disprove that. =D

Feedback, comments, and reviews would be nice, but no pressure. It already means a lot that you're willing to read!

**C**_h_a**p**_t_e**r** _T_w**o**_: _A**l**_l_ T**h**_i_n**g**_s_ F**a**_b_u**l**_o_u**s**

The school year at Julliard was intense and finally over. Another year full of compositions, acting, vocal warm-ups, and intense choreography was now gone. The dedicated students had taken as much mental notes as possible, applying them to impress agents and win contracts with record companies.

This new and intense life changed a person. It sculpted them to be more goal-orientated, and sparked determination in them that they couldn't even imagine was possible. If Sharpay had even had a taste of this life, surely she would've been more despicable than ever, even triumphing over Anna Wintour in snobbery.

Despite this, Ryan Evans somehow remained to be the sweet, fun-to-work-with kind of guy. The only thing that had changed about him was his more prestigious taste in fashion, dining, and spa treatment. Luckily, the Evans' fortune was abundant and well spent in maintaining Ryan's appearance.

College had also brought out an even more flamboyant part of him. He had known his sexuality basically all his life, but now he really played it up into one of the most stereotypical gay men of all time.

Regardless of how prominently he presented himself, Kelsi Nielsen continued to pursue him. She didn't do so in an aggressive way (like Sharpay had done to Troy in high school), but in a sweet way that made him feel guilty if he said "no". She usually invited him for tea, or to work on a piece together. She even offered to collaborate in another show like they had done their last year. And as much as he enjoyed working with her, he couldn't bring himself to say "yes" in fear she would try to discreetly pick up where they left off.

It was all his fault. He was the one who had taken her to prom. He was the one who had decided to experiment a relationship with the opposite sex. He was the one who had kissed her, thinking maybe he could be attracted to girls too. But he wasn't, and when he had released her from their kiss, he still only saw a friend while she saw something more.

He had felt terrible, using Kelsi – shy, naïve, innocent Kelsi – as his object of false affection. He couldn't face her for days, avoiding her while they performed their musical _Senior Year_. She always called, wanting to talk it over, see if they could have the same romance that Troy and Gabriella had, but he found himself unable to reply. He was afraid of breaking her heart.

Which was why it made it even more difficult to be attending Julliard with her. As thrilled as he had been to receive the scholarship, it was difficult to try and continue ignoring her. But, lately, she seemed to be getting the picture that he didn't _want _her. Even if she was still oblivious to the fact he was gay, she seemed to understand he wasn't interested in _her_. This realization represented itself in the decrease of calls he got from her until she didn't call him anymore. It made him upset, gnawing at the back of his mind that he had hurt her in a way he couldn't even comprehend. But, hopefully, someday she'll understand.

As to the topic of his sexuality, most of everybody had known for a long time. Even at East High, it had been a known fact by the majority of the population (although, somehow it didn't register into Kelsi's brain) that he was gay. They didn't talk about it, didn't say anything to him, they didn't even confront him _once_. It was just a piece of background knowledge they all had known.

In fact, they might've known even before he had begun to notice it about himself. The way he dressed, the way he didn't take any notice to girls, the way he enjoyed shopping with his sister and yoga with his mother. He hadn't realized these were all traits leading up to his sexual orientation until he noticed his attraction for men.

First flustered by this revelation, he had spent long hours by himself, trying to accept this new fact. To him, he wasn't sure how he was supposed to respond to something like this. Was he supposed to hate himself for having these feelings, or take pride in it? He wasn't sure. These inquiries soon developed into questions like how would his parents react to this? How would Sharpay? How was he going to tell them about this? All of these newfound worries ate him alive.

To his surprise, his family had taken the news very well when he finally found the nerve to tell them. He had first told his mother, knowing if anyone could respond well to this, his mother would. He had chosen to approach her when she was most relaxed, which was during her yoga sessions. Taking the mat next to her, he mirrored each position she posed for. He had started off talking about something non-relevant before he eased into the topic of his sexuality.

"Hey mom, there's something I've got to tell you," he had said, putting his arms on the ground and bringing his upper and lower body over his head, his feet barely touching his hair in a perfect Scorpion pose. He felt a few of his vertebrae crack at the extension of his body, releasing some of the strain in his lower back. "It's something about me." He lowered his body back to the floor and put himself in a Downward Facing Dog position.

"And what's that ducky," she asked, her position the same as his.

"Mom, I'm…gay," he said. He watched as she shifted into the Cobra pose, trying to see her reaction, but she seemed oblivious to what he had said.

"Hmm," she hummed on her exhale but didn't say anything else. He panicked, his limbs suddenly quivering while trying to keep his upper body up.

"Mom?" His voice began to shake. "Did you hear me?" She turned to him.

"Yes," she replied. "And I'm perfectly okay with it. I guess a part of me has always known you were gay, and it doesn't bother me at all. I just want you to be happy." She gave him a sincere smile before she inhaled deeply, continuing with the breathing exercise.

The supportiveness from his mother led Ryan to tell his father. There was quite a bit of a gap though, between telling one parent and the next; mainly because Mr. Evans was constantly participating in meetings, plus it was just plain hard to find a time to talk to his dad alone. There had been more than one incident where Ryan was about to tell him when Sharpay would interrupt – coming out of nowhere – to beg him for money or something. He had held a small grudge for his twin that summer, though it evaporated once he got the chance to tell his dad.

When the chance finally arrived, it was on the golf course at their resort: Lava Springs. Ryan was a bit nervous, since talking to his mom was much easier than talking to his dad. Mostly because Mr. Evans wasn't his and Sharpay's biological father. Although he had entered their lives when he and Sharpay were too young to remember, Ryan still felt a bit of distance between himself and him. Sharpay, on the other hand, had instantly made him her favorite parent (and Ryan was sure it had _nothing_ to do with his money) and Mr. Evans showered her (and him) in riches to satisfy their needs, unsure how else to express his love when he was gone most of the time.

It also made Ryan nervous since his dad didn't always seem to approve of him. He adored and fawned over Sharpay, but didn't give Ryan the same amount of attention she got. It was like even in his parents' eye, he was just Sharpay's shadow.

When he did find the courage, though, to finally tell him, Mr. Evans had been amazingly accepting of his son. It took a few days, of course, for the news to sink in, but he remained supportive.

Then there was Sharpay. He didn't expect her to be too judging, but yet again, it was _Sharpay_ he was talking about. The girl could receive everything her heart ever desired, and_ still_ throw a tantrum of how miserable her life was.

Telling her was easy compared to his parents. She was his twin, after all. There was a special bond between them, one that made them co-dependent upon each other. The one that she acknowledged more when they were kids and the one that made him stay close to her, even when she was being quite a bitch. And it was this bond that made her stop talking about herself for one moment and listen to him.

The news hadn't fazed her. She wasn't shocked, and she hadn't already known. It wasn't going to affect her life at all, so there was no reason to be concerned. She just, sort of, shrugged it off, like it was just another fact added to her brain of so few knowledge. Although, after revealing this to her, whenever she'd spot a guy she'd like, she'd turn to him saying, "He's mine".

Most cases, it hadn't bothered him when she did that, until she called Troy Bolton hers the first day of eighth grade.

Ryan would never admit it, but he had had a thing for Troy for the longest of time. And then Sharpay just had to snap her fingers and call him hers before he even had a chance. Even without Sharpay calling dibs, having any chance with the basketball star was zero to none. It made him irritated though, to watch his pretty blonde sister _try_ to flirt with the jock. Troy wasn't even interested in her.

The only reason she even thought to pursue him was because she insisted he was secretly into her after he flirted with her once in fifth grade. Had she decided to collect evidence before jumping to conclusions, she would've found out that Chad had dared Troy to do it for two dollars.

So throughout his middle school and high school life, Ryan only got to glimpse at Troy from behind Sharpay. It was a silly little crush, but it still managed to make Ryan unable to speak to him without stumbling over himself.

The closest he had ever gotten to Troy was when Gabriella had joined the East High crew. She was the one who had convinced him to join the Drama Club. Even with the close proximity, the two still had been worlds apart. But he hadn't found it as bad though; he had grown to adore Gabriella and her optimism. In fact, the two had become friends, and they had spent dozens of afternoons shopping together.

Troy hadn't approved though. Ryan could still remember twirling Gabriella around the pool and finding Troy right there. The look on his face was almost scary. Ryan swore Troy was going to shoot him or burst into tears or something. How Gabriella got him to see that they were just friends was beyond him. Maybe she had told him he was gay. It wouldn't surprise him, yet he had trusted her to keep that piece of information to herself when he had told her.

He hadn't really talked to Gabriella much since high school. Once in a while, they'd text each other, seeing what the other was up to, but that was basically it. He hadn't actually seen her since Chad's graduation party.

Maybe if he had returned home to Albuquerque last summer, he might've seen her hanging around Troy's house. But he hadn't. Instead, he had spent the summer in London with his boyfriend Luca.

London had been fabulous of course. Ryan hadn't felt so spoiled in a long time. To be in London, with his hot Italian boyfriend, who happened to attend Julliard as well, and shared the same passion he had for the Arts. He hadn't realized being split apart from his twin would bring such good fortune. It was hard to believe it was even possible.

And it was. In fact, that was why he was coming home to Albuquerque for the summer. He needed to be away from New York, away from Julliard, and other places that reminded him of Luca. He was in desperate need to be in a place where his heart could mend and heal the damage done onto it. To escape from the heartache romance brought with it if a relationship ended sour.

He arrived through the front gates at Lava Springs in his Porsche, the valet already rushing to greet him. Ryan got out of his car, nodding to the valet in greeting.

"We're all glad to see you this summer Mr. Evans," he said.

"It's good to be back," Ryan replied. "You can park the car wherever it's convenient, I really don't care." He walked towards the clubhouse where Mr. Fulton greeted him as well.

"Mr. Evans –" Mr. Fulton began.

"Nice to see you too, Fulton, but I don't have time to talk. I've got to hit the spa," he then tipped his sunglasses so Mr. Fulton could see his bright blue eyes. "I'm not in the best of moods today."

"All right, but just to let you know, your sister's around here somewhere," he told him.

"I'm already aware of that," Ryan said, taking Sharpay's appearance at the country club for granted during the summer. "See ya around."

He walked into the spa. The heated steam of the sauna seeped into the lobby while women sat getting their manicures. He embraced the relaxing air that smelled of millions of different lotions. Spas had always helped him relax. Particularly today, he was hoping to get a pedicure, facial, a full body wax (the few recurring hairs on his body were _really_ starting to bother him), and possibly a massage. And as he stood waiting for someone to get him situated, he noticed that his fingernails needed a little work done as well.

It didn't take them long to fulfill Ryan's demands. At last, he was sitting among the other ladies, avocado being smeared onto his face while his feet were being buffed and nails polished. He lay back, letting every thought empty out of his mind. He felt like Sharpay for a moment, overusing the wonderful perks his father's job allowed him to use. He was ready to drift off to a more subconscious part of his mind when the lady next to him removed one of her cucumber slices from her eyes.

"You know Ry, you could at least say hello," the recognizable voice of Sharpay Evans said to him. He opened his eyes, the cucumbers not in place yet, and looked over at his well-loved sister.

"Shar," he greeted her apologetically. "It's been a while. How are you?"

"Okay, I guess," she replied. "But nothing at U of A can _compare_ to the riches of Julliard." As much as Sharpay was happy for her brother for winning the scholarship, an undeniable part of her was still envious of him for getting it. He chuckled, and leaned back.

"How's the Drama Club doing without us as president," he asked. The only tie he had left to his high school was Sharpay, who voluntarily helped Ms. Darbus run the Drama Department.

"Without us and," she sighed heavily, since it was still a burden to admit. "Troy and Gabriella, there's no one else in the school who can even hope to measure up. Tiara tries –" she scoffed at the mention of the British wanna-be. "Well, she thinks she's all that. But she's just a bitch." Ryan smirked, knowing that was the term that used to mark Sharpay as well. The cucumbers were finally placed over his eyes when Sharpay changed the subject. "How's Julliard? I haven't seen you for, like, a year. Is it that much of a pain to see your older sister every once in a while?" Hadn't the vegetable been covering his eyes, he would've rolled them at her.

"Older by two minutes," he reminded her. "And, to be honest, I'm glad that school's done with for the year. The courses were pretty intense."

"Yet, unlike last year, you're back in Albuquerque," she said sarcastically. "Fancy that." Ryan shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He hadn't exactly told his family about his relationship with Luca. It wasn't that he was ashamed, it was just…he wanted to keep Luca to himself for a while. He knew it sounded weird when worded that way, but his family always seemed to over-do the "welcome to the family" act. It was embarrassing, and well, if he had introduced Luca when they initially began dating, he would now have to tell them they had broken up. And the purpose of coming back to Albuquerque had been to get rid of any thought of him.

"I just needed to come back for a little while," he told her, although that was as far as he would go to explain why.


	3. Basketball Boys and Tying Knots

**A/N:** There, we're moving a bit. When I was writing this, I didn't realize until this chapter that if the East High gang were two years into college, that it basically sets the story for modern day. You do the math, and it is the summer of 2010, which is our past now, but it was the present when I began brainstorming the ideas, so that was pretty cool. Totally unintentional. Enjoy!

**C**_h_a**p**_t_e**r** _T_h**r**_e_e**:** _B_a**s**_k_e**t**_b_a**l**_l_ B**o**_y_s **a**_n_d** T**_y_i**n**_g_ K**n**_o_t**s**

Troy stole the ball away from Chad, trying to make an escape to the other side of the court. Unfortunately, Zeke Baylor got in his way, making the shot a little less accessible than before. Tempting his luck, Troy made the shot anyway, and only out of great fortune, the ball swished through the net perfectly.

Zeke shook his head, impressed. "What are they teaching you in Berkeley?" Troy laughed.

"That was just luck," he assured him, blocking Zeke as he tried dribbling to the other side. Zeke passed the ball to Chad, who tried to steal a chance on open net. Jason Cross, however, got in the way.

Chad made a break away after faking to go right, and dunked the ball in the net. He pumped his arm in excitement as Troy's mother called out, "I have some snacks ready for you boys when you're done." They all rushed towards the house, knowing Mrs. Bolton baked some of the best cookies in the world (although she did come second compared to Zeke). Gabriella sat in the kitchen as well, smiling as the boys rushed in, sweat dripping from their faces and gleaming on their bodies.

"Hey," Troy greeted her, picking up one of his mom's cookies and taking a bite. "What have you been up to?"

"I called Taylor," she told him. "We're going on a girls night out tonight." Troy nodded while Chad smiled; pleased they were talking about his girl.

"She's been dying to see you," he commented.

"I know! I haven't seen her in such a long time," Gabriella complained. "It's about time we got together." A silence began to settle in the room, the boys occupied with eating while Gabriella returned to reading her book.

"It's summer, why are you reading," Chad asked her, taking another cookie from the plate.

"It's a good book," she replied. "And I can finally read a book for fun. I've been reading textbooks all year." Chad shook his head.

"Reading for fun," he scoffed. "You and Taylor are insane." The other boys laughed in agreement. Troy sat down beside Gabriella on the island of his parent's kitchen.

"You're staying over at Taylor's for the night, right," Troy asked her.

"Yeah," she said. Now that her mom and her had moved away from Albuquerque, when Gabriella came back with Troy for the summer, she ended up sleeping over at Taylor or Kelsi's. Neither Troy nor Gabriella (nor their parents for that matter) found it appropriate for Gabriella to sleepover at Troy's. It wasn't that they didn't trust each other; it was just a matter that they didn't feel very comfortable spending the night…together. Sneaking into Gabriella's room at nightfall in high school was one thing, sleeping over was another thing entirely.

"All right, well I'm up for another round," Chad said after chugging down half a gallon of milk. Troy stood up.

"Only to loose again," he said. "Wow, you really got some nerve."

"Oh please, I was just slummin' so you wouldn't feel bad about when we kicked your butt last season," Chad insisted. "But not anymore." He grabbed the ball and headed outside, the others not far behind. It was like nothing had changed since the glory days of East High. And to that, Troy would always be thankful that his summer remained the same.

**x **_x_ x **X** _x_ x **x**

Gabriella and Taylor entered the movie theater, planning to see the new romantic comedy that premiered that night. Her darker skinned friend was jazzed, unable to stop talking to fill Gabriella in on everything that had happened in her life since they had last seen each other.

"You know," Taylor said. "I think Chad's been thinking of proposing to me." This caught her attention.

"What? Taylor!" She exclaimed in excitement. "I can't believe it!"

"Shh," she said, trying to calm her down, but her face remained to glow with the same excitement. "I'm not a hundred percent sure, but he's been acting really odd lately. He keeps asking about what I plan on doing after college and –"

"Are you going to say yes," Gabriella asked. Taylor's face flushed with panic.

"I don't know," she replied. "I wanted to finish school before I even thought of getting married. Plus, my sister told me that if you marry your boyfriend or girlfriend from high school, the marriage never lasts long. And I don't want that to happen to Chad and I."

"I know it won't," she assured her as they got in line to get their tickets. "You and Chad have your ups and downs, but so does everybody else. You should totally say yes if he asks you."

Taylor lifted a brow.

"Well, if he tries to propose the way he initially asked me to prom, he's gonna get dumped," she warned. "So, has Troy showed any signs of popping the question as well?" Gabriella brought her brows together, reflecting on her time with Troy recently to see if there were any signs leading up to the big question.

"No," she admitted a little sadly. "I don't think we're at that stage yet."

"Oh," Taylor said, sympathetic that Troy wasn't ready for that kind of commitment. "No worries though. Troy loves you. It won't take long for him to ask you to marry him. I mean, you two are, after all, the most perfect couple ever. I can't see it being any other way." She then turned to the lady selling the tickets and paid for their movie. But now Gabriella's attention had drifted to Troy, and how he never seemed to even consider getting married once.


	4. Inconveniences of the Rich and Famous

**A/N:** I apologize in advance. There's one line that's worded kind of goofy, but I'm unsure how to fix it…oh well. Um, I should probably mention that I don't own _Killers_. I went to see that movie, and I thought it was good (idk, I'm not a very good movie critic), so I recommend you to see it.

**C**_h_a**p**_t_e**r** _F_o**u**_r_: **I**_n_c**o**_n_v**e**_n_i**e**_n_c**e**_s_ o**f** _t_h**e** _R_i**c**_h_ a**n**_d_ t**h**_e_ F**a**_m_o**u**_s_

Sharpay was pissed. And when Sharpay was upset, her little followers (of which she named the Sharpettes) were upset. Plus, it seemed whenever she was agitated she had to make sure _everyone_ knew about it.

Her reason of complaint was because of Mr. Fulton. His inability to perform the task she had demanded of him always ticked her off. In this particular case, it was because she craved to have a theater added to the country club. Mr. Fulton had apologetically explained that he couldn't due to budget cuts. And this caused her to lash out at him for nearly a half hour, screeching at the top of her lungs at his inefficiency as manager. He had cowered before her like an abused puppy, and made false promises of talking to the board.

This hadn't entirely pleased her, for she still had to view the newly released films among the common folk. Which was why, on a Friday night, Sharpay Evans was viewing _Killers_ at the local cinema. Her Sharpettes stood around her, making her even more blatantly obvious than her already obnoxious style of clothing from The House of Gucci. Not that her Gucci outfit was mismatched, but rather it made her more conspicuous compared to everybody else's clothes where the most expensive thing they wore came from GAP.

Trailing behind Sharpay and her worshippers stood Ryan, who had been dragged along under Sharpay's orders. Though it seemed she wanted her shadow beside her, Sharpay had forced him to come along since he didn't look…right. For the past few days she had watched him mope around Lava Springs, nothing enlightening him the way it used to. It usually didn't take much to make her twin happy. In fact, she always associated him with that stupid grin he always had on his face.

Now nothing could make him happy. He could smile, but it never matched his eyes. She couldn't understand what made him so depressed, but she couldn't stand it. Even though she would never admit it, she worried about him. He was her brother, and she always felt it was her responsibility to take care of him when no one else could. Which was why she had brought him to see a comedy with her and the girls. Hopefully, the humor would lift his spirits.

"Sharpay?" a familiar sweet and innocent voice chirped from behind her. She turned to see Gabriella and Taylor not far behind. As much as she was pleased to see them, she couldn't help but still feel a spark fly over her of the past jealousy and grudge she had kept for Gabriella and her little nerd friend. Let's face it: a part of her would always want Troy to be hers. She had never taken defeat lightly, and so the renewed presence of Gabriella encouraged those thoughts of trying to win Troy over.

Just as easily, she pushed those thoughts aside. "Taylor, Gabriella! What are you doing here?" The two looked at each other, then looked at her.

"What are we doing here? What are _you_ doing here?" Taylor asked. Sharpay huffed with renewed irritation as to why she there in the first place.

"Fulton won't put a cinema in the clubhouse," she explained. "He couldn't even put up a projector in my room so we could have a theater-like feel of the place while we had our slumber party. So, we came here." She gestured to the area around them.

"Oh, what movie are you going to," Gabriella asked. "Maybe we could sit together."

"_Killers_. You?" She replied.

"Omigod, no way!" Taylor exclaimed. "That's the same movie we're going to!"

"Really?" Sharpay questioned. For some reason she thought the brainiacs would see something more in depth…plot wise. The only reason Sharpay was seeing the movie was because Ashton Kutcher was in it.

"Hey Ryan," Gabriella said, finally noticing him for the first time. He looked up, as if brought back to the present. He then smiled, and Sharpay cringed. It didn't match his eyes. Gabriella took no notice and wrapped her arms around him, embracing him in a hug.

"Hey Gabriella," he greeted her in return. "It's been a while."

"Yes," she agreed, seeming horrified by that fact. "I haven't seen you for…like…ever! Even longer than I've seen Chad and Taylor. How've you been? How's Julliard? We _so_ need to catch up!" He laughed, adjusting his black mini fedora.

"I guess we'll have to meet up sometime this summer," he promised.

"Definitely."

The renewed group of friends contentedly went to watch the movie together.


	5. An Albuquerque Summer

**A/N:** Eh, I think this is the start of when this story started getting shaky because writer's block was going to overcome me…(sigh) again.

**C**_h_a**p**_t_e**r** _F_i**v**_e_: **A**_n_ A**l**_b_u**q**_u_e**r**_q_u**e** _S_u**m**_m_e**r**

There was something…different about Gabriella. Troy couldn't put his finger on it, but the air around her seemed different than before. She was more…eager? He wasn't sure what to call it, since any way he could try to describe it didn't make it sound as horrible as he felt it was. She seemed happier than normal, and although he was glad she _was_, it was a different kind of happy.

He could barely snag her for a date anymore. It shouldn't have been much of a shock, but Gabriella was remaining extremely busy. She was either hanging with friends, or working her butt off. Believe it or not, she had decided to take up a part time job at Lava Springs (although he couldn't understand _why_ after Sharpay made her life hell the last time she worked there. He knew they were friends now, but seriously?). And when she wasn't spending her time around Sharpay or Taylor or Kelsi, she was taking an art class hosted at the high school. It was a Community Ed. class –something just for fun – but she seemed to enjoy it nevertheless. Then, most of her free time was spent in the library, collecting new books to read.

Which left barely any time for him – which was hardly any at all. It was disappointing, really. As much as he loved scrimmaging with his friends, he still wanted to be with Gabriella. Take her out for dinner at _least_. But each night when he'd call, she would always apologize since she had something else planned instead.

The first few times this had happened, he hadn't minded so much. He had reasoned with himself that it was okay, it was good for her to catch up with old friends. But after a while, however, it didn't sit well with him. He grew more irritated each time she denied his request, and he swore eventually he was going to lash out at her.

Gabriella, on the other hand, was oblivious to Troy's agitation. As far as she was aware, her summer had the perfect balance of activities and social outings. She knew she didn't get to see Troy as much as she'd like to, but she figured maybe it was a good thing not to be with each other every second of everyday. She hated hearing the disappointment in his voice each time she told him she couldn't go out with him each night he called, but in truth, she was just way too busy.

At Lava Springs, Gabriella resumed her job as a lifeguard. Though, it wasn't exactly for the money. It was her way into the resort and to spend time with the well-known Sharpay Evans. Since the drama queen basically lived there all summer, the only way for the two to get together was either at the country club, or a different public place. Only because Sharpay would rather stay at the resort did Gabriella decide to come to her instead of vice versa.

Sharpay wasn't hard to spot. She and the girls were sprawled on their chaises, tanning in the sun. Not wishing to distract her friend from her job, Sharpay would wait until Gabriella got off her shift to approach her and suggest heading over to the spa. Until then, she would wait, browse through magazines, or maybe fall asleep under the sun.

As excited as Gabriella was to actually hang out with Sharpay as a friend, she wasn't used to the pampering Sharpay would suggest to do for fun. A trip to the spa was Gabriella's idea of getting treated after months or maybe years of hard work to afford such a luxury. To Sharpay, it's where she went if she broke a nail. And although Sharpay would take her there willingly, she always felt guilty for using a little of the Evans' fortune.

Gabriella watched the swimmers in the pool, reclaiming the wisps of inky black hair behind her ears when the wind picked up, which it did on and off on that particular day. Her dark skin made the cherry one-piece swimsuit stand out vibrantly. Troy always thought of Gabriella as attractive, but it really stood out when she wore bright bold colors.

"Are you going to sign yourself up for the talent show," Sharpay's voice came from behind her. Gabriella turned, not expecting to see the blonde.

"…I don't think so," she replied. "I mean, it was fun when we did it in school but…I never intended on going back." Sharpay shrugged.

"It could be fun."

Gabriella smiled and shook her head. "Sorry."

"If we got everybody else to do it, would you," Sharpay asked. Gabriella thought about it a while. It was always better for her to perform with a group.

"Maybe," she replied. "I don't know, I just…singing was just something I did in school. Something I did for Troy. He obviously loves to be on stage. So I sang to get him to embrace something he obviously loves to do. And now that he's comfortable performing, there's no point for me to continue singing. I also wanted to get close to him, you know, because I liked him."

Sharpay smiled weakly. "Obviously, he liked you too. Not just because you sang. I mean if he liked you _just_ because you could sing, he would've been mine a long time ago." She smirked, contented that in the alternate universe of her life, Troy would've been hers.

"Well," she chirped, moving away from the sore subject of her loss. "If you change your mind about the talent show, just let me know. 'Til then, I'll see you after your shift."

**x **_x_ x **X** _x_ x **x**

"Gabriella!" Troy exclaimed over the phone. She had barely arrived at Taylor's house after a long late afternoon spent with Sharpay. Outside, the night sky was eating up the remaining sunset, nearing dusk.

"Troy, settle down," she soothed. "What's wrong?"

"You have to come over quick," he told her.

"Why, what's up?"

"Just hurry over," he instructed. "Come on! It's something real serious!"

"Troy –"

"Please," he begged. She sighed.

"I'll be right there," she promised. Taylor came pounding down the stairs, about to welcome Gabriella back until she found her turning around and heading towards the door.

"Hey, where ya going?" She asked.

"It's…Troy," Gabriella tried explaining while she exited the door.

**x **_x_ x **X** _x_ x **x**

"Troy, what's wrong? Is everything okay? Are your parents all right? Are you all right?" She kept babbling all these questions, unsure what he meant on the phone that there was something serious he needed to tell her about in person.

Much to her surprise, she was greeted with a kiss. Not a long one, but long enough for her to be too stunned to talk any further. She stared up at him, her eyebrows coming together, trying to process and understand what had just happened. But not even the academic protégé could figure this one out.

"I had to make you see me," he admitted, a little embarrassed that his devious plan worked. "I just wanted a night to ourselves for once." He gestured behind him, where he had set up a romantic dinner for himself and her on his dining room table.

Gabriella continued to stand in shock, but slowly was overcome with relief and gratitude at his efforts. It was reassuring for her that he still thought of doing sweet little things like this to spark their relationship alive once again.

She got up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "You did all of this for me?"

"Well," he began, trying to sound modest when he was just as impressed as she was. "My parents were going to be out tonight, and it's been a while since I've seen you, so I thought maybe–" he was interrupted by another kiss.

"You're the best," she said, sitting on the chair set at the head of the table. Even though she had already dined with Sharpay, she couldn't resist eating with him as well.

He left temporarily to the kitchen and came back with two wine glasses. She was about to object when he intervened:

"It's sparkling grape juice," he explained. "Our own kind of wine." He then grabbed the bottle from the fridge and showed her. "See? Non-alcoholic."

They were both at the eve of their twenty-first birthday, and Gabriella had remained to not even have a taste of liquor in fear it would ruin her academic reputation. Troy hadn't had much either, even though – being a legal adult now – he could if he really wanted to. As long as he didn't get caught, that is. For some reason though, maybe for the sake of basketball, he hadn't ever gotten himself drunk. In fact, the only knowledge of alcohol he had were the tastes he had here and there over the years of his childhood and adolescence.

"So, what are we having," she asked.

"Yeah, about that," he started guiltily. "I sorta burnt our main dish, so I only have mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. Then for dessert, I've got chocolate covered strawberries and some of my mom's cookies." He filled her plate with the remainders of his meal and then sat down himself.

"_Bon appétit_," Troy said, smiling. She laughed and ate slowly, knowing a small amount was going to fill her up fast. He had worked so hard though, she couldn't tell him that she had already eaten and wasn't that hungry.

"Troy, what's all this for," she wondered, her cheeks still glowing from being so flattered by her boyfriend. He looked up, a goofy grin spread across his face.

"Can't I just do something special for you?" He asked. She blushed.

"I guess."

When the two had reached the desserts, Troy pulled out a small black box from his pocket.

"I also have something else for you," he told her, setting the box in front of her. She nearly choked on the strawberry she was eating.

"Omigod Troy, yes!" She exclaimed happily. Troy frowned, slightly confused, while she grabbed the box, opening it. Her face fell to disappointment when she saw a pair of earrings instead of an engagement ring.

"What –"

"Troy!" She moaned.

"What?" He asked. "What did I do wrong?" His face flushed with worry while hers just expressed disappointment and sadness.

"I thought you were proposing," she mumbled, feeling humiliated that she assumed he was asking her to marry him. She stood up and began heading towards the door, ready to leave now that she completely embarrassed herself.

"Proposing? What? Gabriella…wait!" He rushed over to her, getting between her and the door. "What did I do wrong?"

"You know Troy, it doesn't really matter anyway. Thank you for the wonderful dinner, but I should probably be heading back to Taylor's. She must be worried." She tried advancing past him, but he continued to step in her way.

"I'm confused, what did I do?"

"I just…it's nothing," she replied. "I was just way over my head, that's all."

"What's this about proposing," he continued to ask. Gabriella shook her head.

"Look Troy, I was just jumping to conclusions," she reasoned. "When I saw the box…I thought maybe…you see, this dinner was just so perfect that I thought you were going to ask me to marry you."

"Whoa," he said, all words leaving his brain, leaving him with nothing to say.

"Yeah," she continued. "But, it was stupid of me to think that." She grabbed the door handle.

"Gabriella," he stopped her. "It's just…aren't we a little…young? I mean, it's not like I don't want to…it's just…I haven't even thought about it yet. I've been so focused on now, I just never even thought about the future. But I guess I've always done that."

"Well, you don't have to prove your love for me Troy. It was my mistake," she said.

"I'll just make sure I get a different box next time," he remarked. "Do you still want the gift?"

"Why not?" she wondered, although she knew it would do her no good now. She'd just stare at them and think of how they were supposed to be an engagement ring. She didn't want to make him feel bad though, so she accepted her gift and left.


	6. The Choreographer is Back

**A/N:** In all honest truth, I have no idea if I'm using the right terms for these yoga sessions. I've never done yoga in my life, and I kind of just typed 'yoga poses' into the google search to see which poses are which. So again, I apologize if I got these wrong.

Oh, and sorry for the endings. I was rereading the story, and I was cringing, because I couldn't end the chapters very well. Usually I'm good at it, but idk, I'm just disfunctional. lol, Enjoy!

**C**_h_a**p**_t_e**r**_ S_i**x**_:_ T**h**_e_ C**h**_o_r**e**_o_g**r**_a_p**h**_e_r **i**_s_ B**a**_c_k

Sharpay found her brother in the middle of a yoga session, set in a Lotus pose with his feet resting on the opposite thighs and the backs of his hands resting on his knees. At her presence, he pretended not to notice and continued to count his breathing.

"Ryan!" She snapped, hushing her voice to try and not disturb the rest of the members. He closed his eyes, tuning her out.

"Ryan!" She tried again. "I need to talk to you."

"Then join our group," he replied, moving out of the position and sitting back on his calves, resting his hands on his thighs, completing the Hero pose. She huffed, flustered by his stubbornness before sitting down in front of him, trying to repeat the Lotus, but ending up just sitting cross-legged.

"Ryan," she said, calling for his attention. He opened his eyes and glared at his blonde twin. She had just disrupted the slight peace of mind he had from the half hour of clearing his mind and relaxing his body. All the tension and stress he had managed to forget came rushing back, making him agitated.

"What?" He seemed annoyed.

"I need your help with something," she explained.

"With what?"

"The talent show," she replied meekly (or as close to meekly as Sharpay could ever get). He rolled his eyes.

"Shar, I already told you," he began angrily. "I'm _not_ doing the talent show this year." On his second or third day of arrival, Sharpay had tried once before to recruit him for the talent show; hoping to, again, take him out of his foul mood. But he had refused and told her not to ask him about it again.

"Will you just listen?" She asked. He shook his head, flabbergasted that she was trying to bring this up _again_, and tried to relocate his calm. "Hey, Mr. Julliard, I could really use you. And you don't have to be in it, even though the Ryan that _I_ used to know would give anything to be on stage."

"Well, Julliard only credits me for my directing and choreographing skills, not my performing ones," he told her tartly. He hadn't been so fond of it when they had discarded his performing abilities, and most certainly didn't like bringing it up. Even if it was to try and sway his sister to not involve him in another one of _her_ shows.

"Exactly," she reasoned. "That's why I was wondering if you could direct/help choreograph me and the girls for the talent show. We could really use your help." He lifted a brow.

"_We_?" He questioned. "_You_ need _my _help?"

"Well," she said, backtracking a little. "I can choreograph my own performance, but I want a more…professional feel to my show. And the University of Albuquerque doesn't offer the same expertise as Julliard does."

"So…?"

"Can you choreograph for me?"

"What happened to directing," he asked, a slight taunting tone to his voice.

"Well, you know how I am. I have to be the director. But you can be my advisor," she offered. He laughed.

"All right Shar, I'll help out a _little_, but that's it," he agreed. She clapped excitedly.

"Thank you, thank you," she praised, wrapping her arms around him. He barely caught any air as she gripped tightly and shook the oxygen out of him. "I love you!" She nearly screamed in delight. Several others turned to look at the siblings.

"Yes, I get that," he struggled to say, trying to keep his voice hushed while she nearly choked him. "But I'm still in a yoga session."

"I know, I know," she said hurriedly, kissing his cheek before leaving. The rest of the people in the room turned to stare at him while he tried to catch his breath.

**x **_x_ x **X** _x_ x **x**

Ryan approached the studio wearing sweats and a t-shirt, topped with a flat cap. Sharpay and her posse stood gossiping by the piano, flexing their arms and legs to appear like they'd been stretching.

He cleared his throat, setting his bag down by the doorway. Sharpay looked up, a grin spreading across her face.

"You made it," she cheered.

"I _am_ your choreographer," he stated simply. "But please don't tell me that was your excuse of stretching." Her grin spread wider, enthused with the fact that he was returning to something he obviously loved.

"Oh, is there a specific way," she asked sarcastically.

"Actually, yes," he told her. "And for today I will show you the stretches I expect you to do. And you should always stretch before we start, and be done before I get here. Because when I get here, that's when we start dancing. And I don't want to have to wait for you." His face then relaxed into a smile. It still wasn't the Ryan smile Sharpay was looking for, but it was starting to get there. "Other than that, I'm pretty relaxed about most things. It's mostly work hard and have fun. So, let's get started!"


	7. Recruit

**A/N:** More drama, haha! lol, I think drama is something that needs to stay on Tv, because I'm totally fine with it until it intrudes on my life. I don't really have any notes on this one. So, I guess, Enjoy!

**C**_h_a**p**_t_e**r** _S_e**v**_e_n**:** _R_e**c**_r_u**i**_t_

Gabriella still couldn't get over how humiliated she was on thinking Troy was proposing to her. Of course he wouldn't propose; any decision in his life was already hard for him to decide, let alone the decision to ask her to become his wife. Although she worried now that he was feeling guilty for _not_ proposing and debating whether or not he should to make it up to her.

Working as a lifeguard wasn't helping with her situation either. There wasn't any activity in the pool, her job only required as a precaution, and her time standing around, supervising the resort members, was spent thinking since there was nothing else to do. And most of her thinking led back to this painful subject.

Maybe she was desperate; to be in the same spot as Taylor was with Chad. Or maybe she was envious of her friend and craved to have it be the same way with her and Troy. All the distance she had put between them wasn't helping her situation either. Was she even sure that she wanted to get married? Like Troy had pointed out; weren't they too young? Plus they still had to finish college, which didn't make planning a wedding convenient for either one of them. She had to face it: marriage was wishful thinking. It seemed like a great, romantic thing but in reality, it was quite stressful as well. What had she been thinking?

"Hey, what are you doing here," she turned to find Ryan not too far away. Why did it always seem one of the Evans' always interrupted her from her job?

"I work here," she explained as he walked up beside her. He frowned.

"Really? You actually _wanted_ your job back," he wondered, shaking his head. She shrugged.

"It's a little extra money in my pocket, plus I get to be close to Sharpay," she explained. "And you." She added, taking off his red newsboy cap and placing it on her own head. He laughed.

"That still sounds weird," he commented.

"What does?"

" 'I get to be close to Sharpay'," he quoted. "I never thought I would hear those words out of your mouth. Or hers for that matter."

"I guess things change, and people change," she said. "But it's been fun now that she's a friend and not an enemy."

"It also helped that you weren't competing for the Julliard scholarship as well," he added. "I mean, I'm her own brother and she still puts up a grudge against me for getting it over her." Gabriella laughed.

"How is Julliard anyway," she asked. "I haven't been able to talk to you for the longest time. How is it?" He averted his eyes momentarily, like he didn't want to talk about it. Which was odd, since the blonde had been performing his whole life for the opportunity to be accepted into the Arts school.

"It's great," he told her, so she wouldn't question his hesitation. He continued to babble on. "It's really intense, but I like it that way. I wanna be the best that I can. It's the best stepping stone to take to go to higher places. In my case, I want to wind up on Broadway."

"Wow," she said, fairly impressed. "Well, Broadway star, when you're in your first production, you're gonna have to snag me a ticket so I can come see you." He smiled.

"That's quite a simple task, you know," he commented. "Compared to Sharpay who would ask me to give her a role." The two continued to laugh.

"I miss times like these," she admitted. "I'm glad you're back for the summer. Why didn't you come back last year anyways?" He shrugged, knowing as much as he loved Gabriella, he wouldn't confess the events of his past relationship to her.

"I was busy," he simply retorted. "Running all over the place." His mind faded away from the present, the memories of touring London with Luca filling his head. He hadn't meant to reminisce events of _him_, but they still entered his mind. But they were good memories and Ryan didn't push them away like he would the bad ones. He remembered how they had taken dozens of pictures, trying to recap the trip for when they arrived home. They had covered every inch of the city, from the Tower of London to Hackney. Taking pictures and annoying the hell out of each other was what made up most of their trip. God knows how many pictures they had to delete of them making fun of the other.

But that was all _last year_. This year, he didn't have the pretty Italian boy playfully make fun of him and then steal kisses as some sort of sign of repentance. He didn't have those late nights of working on a musical and end up chucking rumpled up pieces of paper when having creative differences. He didn't have someone to hold him when he was upset or just having a bad day. He didn't have someone to love.

"Yeah, acting takes up a lot of time, doesn't it?" Somewhere off in the real world, Gabriella stated. "I can just _imagine_ how tiresome it is in the summer. You finally get out of school, and you're still working on a production."

"Huh?" He asked, sucked back into the dull reality of today. She frowned.

"You didn't come back to Albuquerque last summer because of a play, right?" She questioned, suddenly unsure if she was right.

"Oh, yes, of course," he agreed. He couldn't of thought of a better excuse himself. "Hey, speaking of show productions, you know about the talent show right?"

"Right," she said, a little uneasily.

"So, I'm choreographing Sharpay's performance," he began. "And, well, it would have a greater impact if I had more people than just Shar and her drones. So, would you consider being part of the talent show?"

"I already told Sharpay –"

"I know," he said. "But I just wanted to make sure that you felt the option was still open to you. I'm not expecting you to be one of the singers, I'm just looking for more dancers."

"Oh, well, good luck with that," she encouraged him.

"Yeah, that's why I'm asking some of our old classmates to help out," he explained. "As a sort of class reunion thing. I'm just fortunate a lot of people came back this summer."

"Wow, that's really cool," she said. "Tell me how that goes, and if you're in _desperate _need of more dancers, I guess I can help out." He grinned.

"Thanks Gaby." He hugged her. "If you're ever curious though, you could watch when I rehearse with the girls. We practice for two hours each day everyday from three to five."

"I'll think about it," she promised.


	8. The Simple Things

**A/N:** This is one of my favorites to write. I know Luca is kind of portrayed as an antagonist, but I like his character.

You know, originally, when I was starting out, I was like: "Keep it PG" you know, because it's a fanfic of something Disney, but as I've noticed, the more this story progressed, the more I used "colorful language" as a teacher or my mom would say. Plus the themes throughout this story - yeah, if it were ever made into a movie, it would not be suitable for kids, haha. But I rated it T, unless you guys can't handle me saying the f-word once, then I'll bump it up to M. No worries though, this isn't the part where I used the f-word (That's chapter ten).

**C**_h_a**p**_t_e**r** _E_i**g**_h_t**:** _T_h**e** _S_i**m**_p_l**e** _T_h**i**_n_g**s**

Ryan lay sunbathing on his chaise by the pool. It was still a few hours until he had to meet up with Sharpay in the studio, so he spent his extra time trying to tan his pale skin and watching the other members play around in the pool.

People watching had always intrigued him. Mainly because their lives were so much different than his. All sorts of people would cross his field of view: honeymooners, families, elderly couples. And he felt he could live through them, reliving the same thrill of the experience by watching them. He had to admit he was quite jealous. They shared things he would never have.

Particularly with families. He'd always watch the families that hung around the pool. He'd watch how the children would laugh and play together while the parents would stand on edge; always worried that someone was going to wound up hurt. It was something he never experienced as a child. Even when they were young, Sharpay spent her time tanning instead of swimming. Their parents had, as always, never been around. The nanny would watch them, but she wasn't as concerned about their well being as a parent would be.

He wanted that. It was obviously too late for him to have that kind of support from his parents, but he made a note not to make the same mistakes with his kids. Well, if he ever chose to raise kids. He hadn't really thought of being a parent. He had only focused on his career. And last time he checked, being a parent didn't exactly fit into his life when he was trying to launch his acting career. Not to mention it was a major turnoff for potential lovers. He knew having dogs and (sometimes) having a kid around actually attracted other gay men, but for the field he was going into and still being at a young age, that was a major no-no. He could get away with having a dog, but he had already had to raise Boi growing up, and he had no intention of cleaning up anymore doggy doo-doo.

Luca had liked dogs. Not the small, fit-in-your-purse kind of dogs that were suddenly a huge trend, but big dogs. He had told him multiple times that he wanted one, maybe a Lab or a Retriever, but his landlord would kick him out if he brought one home.

Now that he thought of it, Luca would've been the perfect person to settle down with if he had ever chosen to settle down. He was the perfect mixture of what Ryan had been looking for: a highly great taste in fancier goods, someone who enjoyed the rich lifestyle but still manage to be modest enough to enjoy the simpler things. Things like taking a walk around a nature park, or making a home cooked meal. Things that stepped away from the glamorous world of the rich, and step into the hard-working world of everybody else. Even if it was just for a small while.

When Ryan asked how he could find that balance (since he struggled getting anywhere _near_ the average livelihood), Luca had just smiled.

"It took a while," he admitted. "But I didn't initially come from a rich setting. I had to work hard and save up to try to even get into your country. Luckily, it had paid off and I got accepted into Julliard, and that's when I had to learn how the richer folk lived amongst us. Sad as it is to admit, I adjusted quite quickly to the lifestyle. So, I do things every once in awhile to remind myself how I'm getting as far as I am. Which means returning to my old customs and lifestyles."

Ryan had been inspired by this, which was why every so often he tried to experience the simpler things of life. Being born a spoiled rich brat though, made things harder. It helped that Luca often invited him to do some of those simpler things.

"This is hard for you, isn't it," Luca had asked, laughing when they had gone to a restaurant Ryan had never even heard of, and it was no where near the fancy and complimentary places he had ever gone before. He had been staring at his food, wondering if it was even safe to eat.

"I've been pampered way too much for my own good," he replied. "Are you sure the food is sanitary?"

"You should come to Italy with me some time," he suggested. "I could show you a dozen places where 'unsanitary food' is given a new definition." Ryan laughed uneasily.

"Goody."

"You know, for someone who doesn't have an insane amount of money, you do have an expensive taste," Luca commented. Ryan hadn't exactly told him he was technically Richie Rich. He thought it was better that way; that Luca didn't have to know of his wealth. Mostly because he had bad experiences of it in the past. In high school, one of Ryan's boyfriends had used him for the money, staying close and pretending he had feelings for him in order to be fawned and spoiled with Ryan's money. Ryan had been more skeptical with his boyfriends ever since.

Which was why, in Julliard, he hadn't told Luca of his family's fortune. And the only reason he dined so expensively or owned his precious Porsche was because he'd worked to earn that kind of money to spend, or so Luca thought. Once in a while, Luca would notice he was wearing Lauren or Armani, but Ryan would quickly explain it was a knockoff. Apparently, both of them had their secrets, Ryan reminded himself grimly.

He tried straying away from those thoughts, those bad memories. If he was to live in the past, he only wanted to relive the good stuff. Their countless dates, the careless moments, and the intimate times – he stopped himself. Even the more pleasurable parts of their relationship hurt him. Mostly because that pleasure had turned into heartache.

He shook his head. He had to get rid of those thoughts. Mainly because it was breaking his heart again. Like when you get hurt, and it heals into a scab, and you pick at the scab until it bleeds again. He needed to stop thinking about Luca. How did he even wound up thinking about him anyway?

He had to concentrate on now; like how he had to help Sharpay for the talent show. He still had to recruit the rest of his high school class, but he figured it wouldn't be as difficult having Sharpay as a sister. All he had to do was go to her Facebook and send a message to all his former classmates. Although, he didn't understand why anyone would willingly say "yes" to him of all people. He was Sharpay's gopher, and if he asked anything from them, they would say "no" thinking they were replying to Sharpay. It was like no matter how much he tried; he was still depicted as his twin's stupid shadow. It was quite frustrating.

It was another reason why he liked being at Julliard. He wasn't known as Sharpay's poodle or little brother; he was Ryan Evans. And when people looked at him, he knew they were actually giving _him_ the credit and respect and not kudos to his sister. That whole debacle he spent the majority of his school life with was another reason why he had kept Luca to himself. So he could just be Ryan.

He sighed heavily. Did every topic he thought of result in thinking of Luca? Coming to Albuquerque wasn't working like he originally thought it would. It also didn't help that he had his phone with him, the one Luca had the number to and called daily begging Ryan in his voicemail messages to call him back so they could sort things out. In Ryan's opinion, there was nothing _to_ sort out. What was done was done, and Ryan wouldn't give in to being Luca's bitch as well. Too many years had already gone by of him being Sharpay's bitch to do this kind of shit with Luca too. And he simply wasn't going down that road_ again_, even though he still craved Luca's love and affection.

He had to stop running around in circles like this. Or maybe he just needed to get rid of his phone. He made a mental note about it and checked the time. Sharpay would be expecting him soon.

Ryan had to be honest with himself though. As much as he deserved better, and there was no excuse in the world Luca could use to erase the damage, Ryan was still in love with him. Madly so. Maybe for the exact reasons he had been thinking of before, like how Luca would make him experience the simple things in life. He greatly admired his boyfriend – ah, he caught himself – ex-boyfriend. And there was always going to be a part of him that was going to be in love with him, no matter how broken he was on the inside.

It was hard to believe Luca ruined their relationship, especially since he had been so much different from his other boyfriends. He had been more…insightful, and caring than the other ones. It was hard to believe someone as intelligent as he was could make such an obvious mistake. But, that was gay men for you.

He smirked. When had he become so biased? It wasn't like Julliard or Luca made him more biased. In fact, if anything, it would've made him the opposite of biased. Especially from Luca. He had been one of those people who honestly didn't give a damn one way or another. He remembered when he had asked about Luca's sexuality in the months of when they first met. He had kind of shrugged, saying it didn't matter.

"But are you…gay?"

"Gay…straight…it's all the same to me," he replied, waving it off. "All it is is putting a tag on someone." Ryan rolled his eyes.

"But are you…like…attracted to…me?"

Luca smiled slyly. "Yes."

"So you're gay?"

"Does it matter?" He wondered. "I am who I am. And labels don't tend to do me any good, so _why_ should I have them?"

"But, are you…like, attracted to girls too," Ryan asked. "I'm just trying to figure you out." Luca laughed.

"I've noticed," he replied. "And no, I'm not attracted to girls. I love men. Like, a _lot_." He began laughing again, this time Ryan joining in as well. Amazing how Ryan hadn't seen how that was going to bite him in the ass later.

He sunk into unconsciousness with his thoughts on Luca, still adoring his image even when it pained him. In this subconscious state, Ryan admitted without reluctance: He was still hopelessly in love with him.

**x** _x_ x **X** _x_ x **x**

When Ryan entered the studio, he found Sharpay by the piano, listening to the plug-in stereo. She was playing the song she was to perform, her feet mindlessly going over the steps while she stood listening.

"Are we ready?" He asked. She looked up.

"Oh, Ry! I wanted to talk to you," she said cheerily, skipping over to his side. "I want to change the song."

"What? Shar, I got all the steps planned out and everything," he said, annoyed.

"Yeah, I know. But, I want a different feel to it. Something new. Something unique. Something unheard of," she then gasped. "I know! We could hire Kelsi to write our song! It'd be perfect, especially since I've noticed you've been trying to reunite our old friends at East High." His face fell. Not Kelsi, _anyone_ but Kelsi.

"Shar –"

"You know, I can even help you a little bit," she said, still enthused with her brilliant plan. "I can convince what's-his-name who makes me the best cookies in the entire world to get the basketball team to join us in the group choreography. I'm sure they'd all love to, especially if their girlfriends do it. And I can text them right now –"

"Sharpay! Bringing back the whole wildcat gang is kind of stealing your spotlight, don't you think?" He wondered.

"I can share," she reasoned. He lifted a brow critically.

"Share?" He repeated. "You couldn't even share a bathroom with me." She shrugged.

"Things change. They're my friends now," she said. "Now Ry, you're closer to Kelsi than I am, so can you give her a call? I really want one of her songs." He suddenly dreaded the fact that his cell phone was in his pocket.

"You know," he tried reasoning, suddenly hating the fact that he was wearing tight pants. "Since you two are buddies now, why don't you give her a call." Sharpay looked over at him.

"But you two are besties," she said. "And you have your phone right there. Jeez, Ry, what's with you today?" She started to strut over to the other side, before turning to him once more. "Oh, I guess we'll reschedule for a different time until we get all these kinks out."

He stood there for a moment. God, why did his life have to be so damn complicated?


	9. The Wildcats are Back

**A/N: **Crap, I totally didn't mean to have two of my chapters have basically the same title. I must've had The Boys are Back stuck in my head or something ;) (ha ha, real funny. That's such a bad joke). Um, yeah, the events in this chapter were sort of random. Like having Ryan and Gabriella kiss was really random (I just threw that in there for the heck of it even tho that pairing sort of ticks me off) and Troy being really moody at the end of the chapter. Likes he's fine one minute, and the next he's bitching out. I was going to change it, but the story flowed so I decided against it. XD

**C**_h_a**p**_t_e**r** _N_i**n**_e_: **T**_h_e **W**_i_l**d**_c_a**t**_s_ a**r**_e_ B**a**_c_k

"A five, six, seven, eight," Ryan snapped with the beat as he synchronized his steps with the reunited East High gang with the music. He continued to count out loud, making sure each person stayed with the tempo and progressed to complete each set of steps he taught them. After a while of him doing it with them, he turned around and observed them, directing the few that were falling out of line. Sharpay stood at the front of the group, already putting her show face up even though it was just rehearsal.

Gabriella peered in through the doorway of the dancing studio, watching their progress. She still wasn't sure if she wanted to join them, but it seemed everyone else was doing it. Well, aside from Troy. Either he hadn't been invited to be part of the group, or he was too busy to be in it, but Gabriella couldn't find him anywhere among his fellow wildcats. It was possible he was too preoccupied with his summer job at the local diner.

When he had told her of his new job, she had asked why he didn't just take his job back at the resort. He simply retorted that he had no desire to be near the Evans' ever again. It was understandable since last time Sharpay took advantage of him.

She continued to watch them rehearse, Ryan somehow managing not to sweat through his tight jeans and polo shirt. It was also remarkable how his hat never fell off his head while he bounced around the studio, nodding to keep with the rhythm of the music. Their performance was going to be spectacular.

"All right, everyone," Ryan called for their attention, gesturing to Kelsi to stop playing. "I think that's it for today. Good rehearsal guys." He glanced at his watch, making sure it was the right time to wrap up. "See ya tomorrow." The group dispersed into friendship circles and walked out together, talking amongst themselves. A few said their hellos to Gabriella but then continued on their way to change into fresh clothes. Ryan stayed in the studio, along with Kelsi, Sharpay, and the Sharpettes.

Gabriella walked in, greeting them all. Sharpay smiled, but continued to talk to her brother while Kelsi looked relieved.

"Gabriella," Kelsi said, coming over to her side with her sheet music. "Aren't you going to be in the talent show?" She shook her head.

"It's not really my thing," she told her. Kelsi's face fell.

"What do you mean it's not your thing? You were the lead in high school," she said.

"Ryan, I'm serious. I need another backup. Someone that doesn't sound flat," Sharpay was saying to Ryan as he pressed a towel gently against his neck. She stole a glare to Lea, her redheaded Sharpette who was apparently the flat one. Lea looked down while the other two waited for Sharpay's next demand.

"I'm sorry Shar," he replied. "But you'll just have to deal with that. Talk to Kelsi, I don't know, but the singing portion is _not_ my job." He then caught sight of Gabriella. Something seemed to dawn upon him. He turned to his glowering sister. "Or you could just ask Gabriella."

Sharpay's face fell, although she turned so no one could see it. Why Gabriella? Whenever Gabriella or Troy got involved, it always ruined her show. Now, despite they were friends, Sharpay still didn't want either one involved like that. She only wanted them in the show if they were part of the group choreography, not part of the singing. Especially back up.

"What?" Gabriella looked over at him once he heard her name called.

"Sharpay needs another backup. And you can sing fairly well, so why don't you help out? I could really use you," he told her, before walking out of the studio with his stuff. Gabriella stood, not knowing how to respond. Sharpay, who was now furious at her brother for suggesting it, stormed off, her Sharpettes frolicking after her. And Kelsi stood, her eyes still lingering to where Ryan had walked off.

"I don't understand him," she said absently. Gabriella turned to her friend.

"What?"

"Ryan," she explained. "I thought he hated me, but then I got this call saying he needed me to help out for the talent show. And now he's pretending I don't exist." She shook her head. "He won't even look at me."

"That's unlike him," Gabriella commented. "Maybe he's in a bad mood?"

"No," she replied. "He's been doing this for over two years now." She frowned, even more confused than before. They were talking about the same Ryan, right?

**x **_x_ x **X** _x_ x **x**

Ryan and Gabriella were falling over themselves, laughing. It had been a long time since they had their own "girls" night out. Well, they didn't really go out. They mostly stayed in his suite at the resort. They had decided to watch a movie and pig out on popcorn but somehow during the night they wound up high on each other's energy. Face it, things just got funnier at one o'clock in the morning.

They were laying on their stomachs on his king sized bed, nearly falling off the bed when they rolled over from laughing too hard. And the laughing was generated from one of them being ditzy and disoriented at that time of night (or morning).

"Ry," she said, trying to calm down after nearly falling off the bed. He, on the other hand, was still laughing at her. "Hey," she said, grabbing him by his shirt.

"What," he asked, stifling another laugh, but failing, since it came out in snorts.

"Why are you mad at Kelsi," she wondered. Suddenly, any case of the giggles was gone.

"I'm not mad at Kelsi," he told her.

"Well, she said that you won't talk to her or anything," she explained. "Like at Julliard and stuff. Why don't you two hang out? You two were so close." He adjusted his striped fedora.

"I…uh…she's kind of…you know…into me," he explained. She frowned.

"Doesn't she know you're gay?" They both began laughing again. He couldn't be more obvious about his sexuality.

"Yeah, I don't think she knows," he said. Gabriella frowned.

"What do you mean she doesn't know," she demanded. "You're gayer than…gayer than a…" She couldn't think of an analogy.

"Goose?" He tried, and the two were laughing again. If anyone else had been in the room, they would surely think the two were drunk or something.

"Seriously Ry," she tried continuing. "How can she not know?"

"I don't know. Some people only see what they want to see, I guess. I don't know," he explained. "But I don't think it helped that I kissed her at prom."

"You kissed her at prom!" She exclaimed. "You never told me that."

"Yeah," he said, laughing. "Me kissing Kelsi. Isn't that quite a picture?"

"I thought you already knew you were gay by then. Yeah, because you told me the summer before," she reasoned.

"I was…experimenting," he knew it wasn't funny, but he couldn't help it as he tried to hide his face in shame. Gabriella hit him in the shoulder. "Ow…"

"You _experimented_ on Kelsi," she gasped. "Ryan!"

"Well –" he tried protesting.

"Did you sleep with her?" she wondered, bringing her voice down in case anyone would hear them.

"No!" He exclaimed, hitting her in the shoulder as well. "Gabriella! No – gross…that's just…ew!" Gabriella shrugged.

"Just wondering," she told him. "So you just…kissed her?"

"Yeah," he said. "I was seeing if I was bi."

"And?"

"I'm not," and they began laughing again. "I guess Kelsi never let it go."

"Ah," she replied. "I get it now."

"Yeah," Ryan replied. The two were silent a while.

"So, what's it like," she asked.

"What?"

"Kissing someone you're not attracted to," she replied. He shrugged.

"It's just kissing," he said. "It'd be like if you kissed someone who you could not picture yourself with – like Jason." They began laughing again.

"So, if I kissed you, it wouldn't mean anything," she inquired.

"Right," he agreed.

"Wanna try it out," she asked.

"You know I'm gay right?"

She laughed. "Yes."

"And you have a boyfriend," he reminded her.

She shrugged. "Troy will never know." He thought about it.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt," he replied. She nodded and then leaned forward and kissed him, seeing if she could feel anything with him. She always wondered what it felt like to kiss someone you don't like romantically. Her lips moved against his, but they both weren't feeling anything. Obviously, since they both still had their eyes open, which was…awkward. He wasn't sure what to do; it was way different than when he had kissed Luca. Gabriella felt weird about it too, like it wasn't right since he wasn't Troy.

It wasn't long until Gabriella ripped away from him, the weird feelings grossing her out a bit now. It didn't feel right, kissing him. It was nothing like when she was with Troy. It was just weird…she didn't know how else to explain it.

"Anything?" He asked.

"No," she replied. "You?"

"Like I said," he told her. "It's just kissing." She nodded, and began giggling again.

"It's just weird," she commented. He joined in.

"I know," he said. "Do you think Troy will mind?" She shrugged.

"I haven't seen Troy for a while. I don't know, as long as he doesn't know about it, it'll be fine," she explained. "We've been a little distant lately."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," she said before telling him about the whole marriage issue. He sat there through it, a little confused on why she wanted to get married so young, but remained empathetic to her nonetheless.

"So you're mad that he won't marry you?" He asked, trying to understand the situation.

"No, I just…if Chad and Taylor are ready for it, why aren't Troy and I the same way? I don't understand him some days," she tried explaining. "Ryan, I think we're drifting apart. It's just not the same as it used to be." She looked like she might cry.

"Oh, Gaby," he said, sitting up and pulling her into his arms. "No, no, no. That's not true. Troy loves you. It's just…you've been busy and stuff. But it doesn't mean you're relationship is going downhill. By the way you talked about him, he seems very invested in your relationship. In fact, I think you should hang out with him more. It – correct me if I'm wrong – seems like _you're_ the one pushing him away." She looked up at him, about to protest, but realized it was true.

"You're right," she allowed softly, shaking her head. "What am I doing?"

"Just…keep him in the loop okay," he said. "We wouldn't want anything to happen to East High's power couple now, would we?"

"Yeah," she agreed. "Thanks Ryan." He held her close. He hoped nothing bad would come of her relationship with the basketball star. She deserved to be happy with the one she loved. In fact, he would be more than happy for her if Troy, indeed, decided to propose.

The moment was perfect, and the two had nothing to talk about anymore. They just sat there, finally paying attention to the movie they had been watching. Then Gabriella turned to him.

"Hey, you never told me about Julliard," she stated. The moment was now ruined.

**x **_x_ x **X** _x_ x **x**

"Hey wildcat," Gabriella said, coming into Troy's backyard as he was shooting hoops. He turned to face her, his face instantly lighting up.

"Gabriella," he exclaimed, rushing over to her. He was going to hug her, but then remembered he was sweaty and decided against it. Instead, he kissed her quickly on the lips. She smiled, the kiss feeling right compared to the one with Ryan. Pleased with this, she instantly dove in for a more passionate kiss. And then, it happened again. Troy backed away from her, like he didn't want to kiss her.

"You all right?" She asked. He turned to her.

"Yeah," he tried assuring her. "I just missed you, that's all."

She frowned, but didn't question him. "How's your job been?"

"Great," he replied, bouncing the ball a few times before taking a shot. It went in, and he turned to face her again. "I mean, I do get a few picky customers, but it's been good for the most part." She nodded.

"I'm thinking of helping out with the talent show," she told him. "You know, at Lava Springs."

"Oh yeah," he said absently.

"Yeah, Sharpay needs another backup," she explained. "And I'll be working with Ryan and Sharpay, so it won't be so bad."

"Ryan's choreographing?" Troy asked, slightly surprised that Ryan was in town and a bit nervous since he didn't have the best memories of the last time Gabriella and him worked on the talent show together.

"Yeah, he's back from Julliard, isn't that great?" She asked. He lifted a brow to suggest otherwise but didn't say anything. "What?"

"Nothing," he told her. "So, are you actually going to do it? You said you were thinking about it."

"I think I have to do it. Sharpay hates not getting what she wants," she replied. "But I don't really mind."

"Because Ryan's there," he wondered. She frowned.

"No," she said defensively. "Because I don't mind singing."

"Oh, so you're going to star in one of Sharpay's shows," he stated. "Must be fun to spend time with the Ice Queen all day."

"What's up with you?"

"Nothing," he replied.

"Well, it's not like I'm the only one. Chad's in it too," she insisted.

"What?"

"Yeah, Ryan recruited, like, everybody from high school to perform in this group part of Sharpay's act," she told him. His face leaked of disappointment.

"And I wasn't aware of this…why?" He demanded.

She shrugged. "Maybe he thought you were too busy. I don't know Troy, just don't make a big deal about it."

"I'm not making a 'big deal' about it. I'm just saying," he insisted.

"It's not like you and Ryan are the best of friends," she started.

"And he and Chad are?" He shook his head, picking up another basketball from the side of the court, and shooting it. The ball missed. He grunted in frustration, although he tried to direct it towards the fact that he missed.

"Whoa, Troy, don't get so defensive," she said. "If you want a part, I can ask Ryan –"

"I don't want a part," he snapped.

"Okay, just cool down then," she started. "What's your deal?"

"Nothing," he said, picking up another ball and shooting. It missed again. Nothing made his mood more obvious than when he started missing baskets.

**x **_x_ x **X** _x_ x **x**

Troy felt stupid for bitching out at Gabriella earlier. Truth was he was still upset and disappointed in himself for not proposing to her. Was that what he was supposed to do? He wanted to do so many more things before he even thought of settling down. And now Ryan was back. He knew he shouldn't be so defensive about it, but Ryan continued to raise those jealous feelings he felt during that summer of 2007. There was just something about the Evans boy that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

He sat on top of the island, unsure what to do. No doubt Gabriella probably didn't want to speak to him for a long time. She sort of gave of up trying to talk nice to him and stormed away, telling him she didn't want to talk until he was in a better mood.

He pondered the thought of proposing to her. It was kind of an odd thought, since they were fighting at the moment, but on the flip side, what better way to make it up to her than to propose? If he did decide to marry her though, there were a lot of things he had to do first. Like somehow afford an engagement and wedding ring. Was anyone else aware how expensive those things were? And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

His dad came in after a while of him sitting there, looking for something to eat.

"Hey Troy," he greeted him, before advancing to the cupboards.

"Hey dad," he replied, his tone reflecting his mood.

"Whoa, what's with you?" he asked. "And why aren't you shooting hoops?" Troy looked down.

"It's Gabriella," he said. "We're just…kind of in a fight. I don't know; it seems that way." Coach Bolton nodded.

"What are you two fighting about?"

"It's not really a fight," Troy tried explaining. "Gabriella just…you see, the other night I prepared this really nice dinner for her. I also got her gift too, you know, because we haven't seen each other for a while. But when she saw the gift, she thought I was proposing. But I wasn't, and it was weird. She seemed upset that I wasn't proposing to her, and now I'm not sure what to do. Should I ask her to marry me, or what?"

"Well, are you ready for that kind of commitment?" He asked his son.

"I don't know," he moaned, putting his face in his hands.

"Look Troy," he said, standing by him. "If you're not ready for this, then wait. It won't mean you love Gabriella any less. But, I fully support you if you choose to marry her as well. And honestly, I can't see you being with anybody else. Just take your time, okay? You don't have to make all these decisions right now."

"Thanks dad," he replied. "I just don't know what to do about it."

"I think you should talk to her," he suggested. "Work through the situation. I'm sure you'll be fine." He clapped him on the shoulder and then turned to leave with a coke and crackers.

Troy continued to sit there, arranging a time in his head where he could talk to Gabriella. Maybe he would surprise her at work tomorrow.


	10. Soaked

**A/N:** This is the chapter that failed due to my writer's block. Well, not the whole chapter precisely, just the ending. That whole scene was rushed and it was from me telling myself "just get the freaking words on the paper". So, I apologize for that. I know this is a horrible place to stop, but this is where I stopped writing. Actually I got into part of Chapter 11 before I went on hiatus. So, this is where the story will stop for now, even though it's like the turning point. I'm so, so, sorry!

But in the mean time, before I actually get the time to finish this, there's a couple things you can do: read the stories that inspired me because they're just awesome, no lie, you won't regret it (they're listed in my first chapter's author's note) - read every single one of their stuff, it's good. or you could review…or not, give me feedback…or not, or give me some suggestions - Obviously everything's not written in stone yet, so let me here them! or you can recommend stories for me (which are real motivators to make me write) or even post self-recommendations. I don't really care. And don't worry, for those of my readers who don't have an account, you can review too! =D

So long my pretties, I hope I won't be gone for too long!

**C**_h_a**p**_t_e**r** _T_e**n**_:_ S**o**_a_k**e**_d_

Ryan found Gabriella supervising the pool the next day. He approached her, not sure if she was going to be Sharpay's backup singer or not. He sort of threw it in her face a few days ago, and never followed up on it.

"Hey, Gaby," he called. She turned, surprised by his appearance.

"Hey Ry," she greeted him. "What are you doing here?"

"I kind of live here," he replied jokingly. "During the summer, I mean." She laughed.

"I mean, what are you doing talking to me," she asked, being more specific this time.

"Oh, I came to see if you're going to be Sharpay's backup," he explained. "You don't have to if you don't want to, but…I don't know, it would be nice." She nodded, her black curls bouncing with her.

"Yeah, I'll do it," she told him. His eyes lit up.

"Really?"

"Of course," she said. "It's a wildcat thing." He broke out in a grin. Oh, if only Sharpay could see it. Somewhere along the line, being the choreographer brought back the Ryan they all knew and loved. The depressive, moody boy was finally cured.

"That's great," he told her. "If you want, you could come early before practice, and I could catch you up on all the dance steps. That way you won't be behind." She smiled.

"I'd like that," she said. "See ya tonight then." She then hugged him and they gave air kisses to each other (cliché and gay but that was why they were doing it). The two broke into giggles before starting to walk away from one another.

Troy felt his chest burn up, infuriating him with the same jealousy feelings as before. So Ryan _was_ making moves on his girl. That spoiled, money-throwing, dumb blonde bitch. And that was how he normally described Sharpay.

"Evans," he barked, walking up to Ryan, unable to control the anger radiating off of him. Ryan was caught off guard, and Gabriella looked slightly surprised to see that Troy was at the resort, the surprise he had intended on now ruined.

"Troy? What are you doing here," Ryan asked, confused as to why the jock was snapping at him.

"Get your hands off my girl," Troy continued to say. Ryan put his hands up in surrender, still not sure what he was talking about.

"I'm not touching her," he said. "See?" He waved his hands in front of his face.

"Don't be a smartass. I know what you're doing, and I'm not going to sit back and watch this time," he told him. "Now, what are you two doing behind my back?"

"Nothing," Ryan replied, cowering away from him, but making sure he didn't act too quickly and end up falling into the pool. He really couldn't afford to ruin his Gucci shirt.

"Don't lie to me Evans," Troy yelled. "I'm giving you a chance to tell the truth."

"Troy," Gabriella tried intervening. "What are you talking about?"

"Yeah, and that is the truth," Ryan insisted. "Now leave me alone _Bolton_." He then shoved Troy away from him, a little proud that he had the nerve to do such a thing and now a little nervous because he had done it. Troy took this as a challenge and grabbed at him. Ryan tried pushing him away but wound up losing his balance. Dragging Troy with him, they both landed in the pool with a giant splash.

Ryan resurfaced first; looking about in a bit of shock before noticing his hat was missing. The water absorbed him, weighing him down in his shoes and socks. _Not the shoes_, he begged. Troy popped up above the water's surface, coughing and choking on the water. Ryan remained looking flustered, trying to stop the little makeup he had on from running.

"I'm not after your stupid GIRLFRIEND!" He exclaimed, not able to appear as angry as he felt since he had to tread water. A few of the other members glanced their way at all the commotion.

"Then why are you always hanging around Gabriella? Don't act like I don't know how close you two are," Troy continued to insist.

"Don't you get it? I'm her friend. Of _course_ I'm close to her you thick headed, ignorant bastard!" Ryan continued to yell, splashing him.

"I just don't understand why –"

"No, don't you get it?" Ryan asked, his voice rising a bit due to his uncontrollable anger at Troy for getting him wet and ruining his wardrobe. "I'm _gay_, Troy! I'm not interested in Gabriella, and I never will be! So don't worry." Troy was suddenly silent and a couple of members looked at Ryan in disgust. All the steam built up in Ryan vanished now that he got it off his chest. "Do you get the picture?" He asked, his voice much more calmer and quieter. He then looked around, found his hat and climbed out of the pool. He placed the soaking cap on his head, as if preserving the little dignity he had left before he stormed off.

**x** _x_ x **X** _x_ x **x**

Ryan stood in Sharpay's bathroom, squeezing as much water as he could into the sink. The only reason he was in her bathroom at all was because the toilet in his bathroom was backed up or something (he had been too busy yelling at Mr. Fulton to have the reason clarified), plus Sharpay had more towels than he did.

He stood in front of the mirror, too upset about his clothes to throw the mega tantrum he so desperately wanted to do. Troy made him so mad earlier. Why the hell would he _ever_ try to steal Gabriella away from Troy? Anyone who knew Troy knew better than to get in his way. The kid was just pissy in his opinion, and had a hard time handling jealousy. And obviously he didn't have much of a brain to actually investigate the situation before pointing the gun. Funny how Troy reminded him so much of Sharpay.

And of _course_ that bigheaded asshole had to prove his masculinity to "get his girl back". Jeez, why did it seem like every jock he met always had to prove himself, or whatever. It was just freaking ridiculous. Especially since _this_ time, his clothes paid the price of it.

It was miraculous how his phone survived. Yet again, of course that thing wouldn't die. He then remembered that he had to get a new one sometime soon. Maybe he'd get the latest version of the iPhone, but then contradicted himself by wanting to get something…simpler. Or more complex, depending on what he needed it for.

His phone then buzzed, as if on cue. He looked at it, and then rolled his eyes. It was Luca. Again. He let it ring, and when it finally stopped, he thought about calling him back. He really needed someone to just vent to. Oh, how he could go on for hours about what had happened not too long ago. And Luca would be the ever-supporting one by becoming a Troy hater too.

_No, no_, he reminded himself. _You deserve much better than this._ _You don't need _him.

He sighed, and returned his energy back to his clothes. He stripped off his shirt, leaving him in his soaked undershirt (but he wasn't too concerned about that article of clothing). He rinsed the shirt gently under the sink, trying to gently get rid of any chlorine that could potentially ruin his shirt permanently.

When he draped it over the shower rail, Sharpay barged into the bathroom. She screamed, not expecting his presence.

"Ryan!" She clutched at her heart dramatically. "You gave me a heart attack." Her theatrics slightly brightened his mood.

"Hey Shar," he greeted her.

"Hey," she said, looking around at the pooling puddles of water spread out across the tiled floor. "You're wet." She backed up a little, not wanting to put her Prada shoes in danger.

"Yeah, no thanks to your little boyfriend," he said sarcastically.

"What? What are you talking about? And are you okay? I mean, you look horrible," she said. "Did Zeke do this to you?"

"What? No, _Troy_ did it. Wait – Zeke? You're dating Zeke?" He asked her.

"No, I'm not dating Zeke," she said defensively. "He thinks he is, but he's not. I just like that he brings me food. And that he fawns over me. Have you tasted his Crème Brûlée? It's so worth gaining a few pounds."

"Shar," he called, trying to focus her attention away from Zeke and the delicious pastries he made. She looked at him, remembering what they were initially talking about.

"So Troy…did this to you," she said.

"Yeah," he said, grabbing a towel and patting his face and body, trying to dry up in any way he could. "That stupid son of –"

"Ry," she said, interrupting his ranting. "Why'd he do it?"

"He thought I was stealing Gabriella away from him or whatever," he told her. She laughed.

"He must not be seeing straight or something, because – no offense Ryan – you're really gay," she said.

"Yeah, well, straight guys don't tend to have a really good gaydar," he commented. Sharpay stifled a laugh. He shook his head. "Hey, look. I've got to grab a new pair of clothes, I'll be right back." She nodded, stepping out of his way as he passed her. He was still dripping of pool water. She made a face.

"I'm glad you're okay and all," she remarked; then whined. "But why'd you have to get _my_ bathroom all wet?"

**x **_x_ x **X** _x_ x **x**

Ryan lay in bed, nearly dozing off. He had announced to Sharpay he was done for the night a few hours earlier, but for some reason, was too tired to fall asleep. His thoughts continued to race in his head, only further enabling him from resting. He thought about Troy. Stupid Troy. And Luca. Stupid – why did he continue to enter his thoughts? Luca. Luca, Luca, Luca. It was like no matter what he did, everything in his life reminded him of that damned boy. Why couldn't he just get over him already?

A part of him knew why. It was for a dozen reasons. All the time and energy they spent with each other was bound to add up in the end. Especially the trip in London. How could anyone forget something like that? Ryan had given their relationship everything, only to be put on the back burner.

"Ry, are you tired," Luca had asked him on the second night of their stay in the United Kingdom. Ryan had been lying on his bed, watching TV after the long day of walking around. He shrugged; not even looking at him as he continued to watch whatever show that was on. "You're real helpful." He muttered to himself.

Ryan finally acknowledged him. "Why do you care?"

" 'Why do I care?' Because I love you, you idiot," he replied, coming over to Ryan's side of the room. "And because I want to do this." He leaned down gently, and kissed him. Ryan could remember his cheeks burning scarlet during that kiss, only to be deepened as the kiss became longer. He wasn't sure when he had realized they were going to have sex (whether it was when Luca got on top of him, or when the clothes started coming off), but when he did, he nearly began giggling like a schoolgirl. He never thought it would happen so…_soon_. And he hadn't been sure how he was supposed to feel or what he should do, since it was, after all, his first time.

It turned out he hadn't had to do much. Luca was much more experienced in this area, so Ryan just let him do whatever he wanted. And he had to admit, as much as being a bottom seemed to be an insult, he hadn't really minded being in that position.

Life had been so much better then. Even with Kelsi pursuing him, life had been good. But how could he be so naïve to believe he would find "The One" the first time he got in bed with someone?

It was probably because he had been so ignorant did it take him by complete shock and horror to come into Luca's apartment and find him seducing another man. Ryan had been furious (not to mention speechless), but he hadn't been heartbroken yet. It was like he got shot and it took a few seconds for him to actually feel the pain.

He had also been disgusted by the fact that they hadn't even had the decency to at least move their affair to the bedroom. That way the sight could've been prolonged to him just a little longer. Plus, he wouldn't have to see much of it.

"Oh my god," Ryan had barely breathed, more shocked than mad at this point, but the anger was soon to be boiling. Luca had turned to face him, and his expression instantly became guilty and regretful.

"Ry –" he started.

"Don't talk to me!" He snapped, turning and hurrying away from his apartment. Thousands of distorted thoughts flooded his mind, half questions appearing and then disappearing since he knew he would explode if he dared to finish them. Then there were other thoughts he aimed at himself. _Stupid, stupid, stupid_, he kept commenting. _You IDIOT! How could you not know?_

"Ryan!" Luca was calling after him, somehow managing to put clothes on and try to stop him from walking away. Ryan ignored him as he headed out into the streets of New York. "Ryan, wait!" It wasn't long until Luca was panting next to him, still trying to keep up after sprinting after him. He had been too angry to try running (plus, unless you were wearing sweats, why the hell would you be running?), so he just tried to ignore him.

"Let me explain," he begged.

"Oh, about what? The fact that you'll just about fuck anything that moves, or that I'm not good enough for you?" He wondered sarcastically.

"Ryan, please," he pleaded. "I love you. You know I do."

"Yeah," Ryan asked, suddenly coming to a halt, turning to face him. He didn't think he could exactly look Luca in the eye at the moment, but he did to get his point across. "How many other guys have you said that to?"

"Ry –" he began.

"I'm not Ry!" he exclaimed, continuing to walk away. "You don't get to call me that! Not anymore!"

"Ryan, you know I can't live without you," Luca continued to insist.

"Then so be it," he replied frostily. Luca stopped following him after that. Ryan guessed he must've been stunned. Hell, he was too. He had never, ever, in his entire life, been so cold. He wasn't the type to have a death wish on anyone, even the worst of his enemies. But that whole situation had made him tick in a way he had never felt before.

The heartache hadn't come until after he had reached his loft, where he had barely closed the door before he started breaking down.

Ryan turned in his bed, the new pain suddenly dwelling in his body. How was he supposed to sleep if he was going to wind up crying from all these torturing memories? He wasn't going to allow himself to cry himself to sleep. No, not anymore. He was sick and tired of crying over him. And yet he found nothing to help him completely move on. Going back to the things he loved worked to a point, but it still reminded him of Luca. That stupid, damn, son of a bitch! He knew his colorful language was a bit harsh, but he didn't regret it. He just wished he could forget him, and finally move on.

There was a knock on his door. It didn't even faze him.

"Go away," he called out, assuming it was room service. "I don't need anything right now. Come back tomorrow."

"Ryan?" A voice called back. "It's Troy. Can I come in?" Ryan huffed unhappily.

"No," he replied. "Now go away."

"Please," he begged. "Ryan, I came to say that I'm sorry. God, I feel so stupid. I shouldn't have done what I did. I just…I obviously wasn't thinking. And if I would've been smarter, I would've already known you were gay and you weren't trying to steal Gabriella away from me." Ryan slipped out of bed and opened the door.

"You shouldn't talk so loud, one of the neighbors could hear you," he told him.

"I was making sure you could hear me," Troy explained.

Ryan rolled his eyes. "I'm just messing with you. Now, come in." He opened the door wider so Troy could enter. He did so a little reluctantly, not sure if Ryan was being sincere in the invitation or using the time to get back at him. He ultimately decided he didn't care, and if Ryan decided to get back at him, he deserved it.

"You know, I'm quite impressed," Ryan admitted. "It's not everyday that basketball superstars apologize for things. I mean, if it had been Chad, I don't think he would be here apologizing right now."

"So you forgive me?"

"I didn't say that," Ryan said.

"I guess I deserve that," he replied.

"For the most part, I'm just pissed that you ruined my clothes," he told him.

"No offense dude, but that sounds…gay," Troy said uneasily. Ryan smiled.

"Just be thankful I'm not hitting on you," he replied, smirking. Troy looked a bit uneasy, but shook it off.

"So, there's nothing between you and Gabriella," Troy clarified.

"Besides me being one of her best girlfriends, no," Ryan retorted.

"Did you just refer to yourself as a girl?"

Ryan shrugged. "It's a gay thing." Troy frowned, and shook his head.

"Okay," he said, as if understanding the reason behind that. He was a quiet a moment, still not quite understanding what it meant to be 'gay'. "Ryan, can I ask you something?"

"Sure." He sat on the edge of his bed, watching, as Troy seemed to be struggling with this question, almost appearing embarrassed to ask it.

"Just out of curiosity, what's it like?" He asked, his expression mirroring the awkward feelings he was experiencing. Ryan frowned.

"I don't think I understand – "

"Being gay," Troy explained quickly. "Like…how'd you know, and like…I don't know, how do survive? I mean, don't you get a lot of crap?"

"Whoa, slow down," Ryan insisted. "Why do you want to know?"

"I don't know, I just…I'm curious. I'm not really surrounded by gay friends. And to be honest, I don't really get how someone can 'be gay'. I mean, my dad gets really mad whenever the subject's brought up, and I don't…understand it, you know." Ryan nodded.

"Well, I know others who have it worse than me. Some parents aren't as accepting as mine. I've heard horror stories – " he glanced at Troy, who looked highly uncomfortable with the subject (even though he was the one who brought it up) and even…terrified? Ryan shook that thought away, thinking he was just reading too much into his expression. He decided to backtrack. "But, uh, personally, I'm not 'tortured' that much. I mean, I'm in theater. Who in theater is going to discriminate against me? Some of the most talented classmates of mine are gay. It's just a fact. And I'm sure that some of the people you work with in the drama department – you do still participate in the Arts right? – are gay." Troy nodded.

"Do you find it weird I'm asking these questions," Troy asked. Ryan shook his head. "Okay, so how'd you figure out you were gay," he wondered.

"Chad Michael Murray can make any man go gay," Ryan replied, laughing. "And I usually like brunettes."

"So you just woke up one morning and realized you were gay?"

Ryan laughed again. "Of course not."

"Then…how'd you know?" Troy asked, still confused.

"It's always been a part of me," he replied. "I kind of knew it all along but I just didn't have a label for it. I didn't know what to call all my 'abnormalities' until I started crushing on other guys. But even then, it wasn't like I woke up and suddenly had a crush on a guy. It started slowly. Like first I was just being self-conscious of my body, then I was comparing my body to the others around me, and…well, after a while I was curious. But that was just for the physical part. The relationship part, however, is just like what you have with Gabriella. You have something in common, you hang out, you talk, and you find yourself falling in love."

"So, you were looking at guys, like in the locker rooms and stuff?" He wondered, looking highly uncomfortable that he was asking about this stuff. Surely if Chad had been in the room as well, he wouldn't have even thought to bring it up.

"Please, don't flatter yourself," Ryan said, catching the implication. "I don't want to sleep with every guy I see. Just like you don't want to sleep with every girl you see. Or maybe you do, if you're some kind of perve. I just…hmm, how am I going to explain this? It's part of the physical attraction. Like when you look at a girl, and for physical purposes, first impressions, etc. etc., you look at her body. I don't mean to make you sound biased, but come on, we all do this. You look at her face; does she look cute? How does the rest of her body look? Is it well kept, how big are her boobs, is she curvy, does she have a nice butt, is she thin, how big are her thighs, you know, stuff like that. Even if you're not consciously thinking it, you're doing it. Same thing for me, only with guys." Troy nodded.

"So when I finally realized all my mixed feelings were a crush," Ryan continued. "I knew I was gay. Well, it was confirmed that I was gay."

"Did it also help to…you know…experiment?"

"Definitely." Troy became quiet, thinking. "I can't believe you're interested in this. I mean, straighties don't usually like to talk about this. Especially the men." He shrugged. "So enough about me. Lets talk about you. What's up with you and Gabriella now?"

"Well, after the pool incident, Gabriella has been ignoring me. I can't even get her to look at me. I don't think she likes me anymore…and, to be honest, I'm not sure if I do either." Once it was said in words, Troy couldn't believe how true that statement was. Maybe that was the reason why he had never thought about having a future with her.

"What?"

"I don't know Ryan," he said. "Things are so awkward between us. She wants me to marry her. I'm not ready for it – "

"Trust me, she isn't either," he intervened. Troy shook his head.

"I don't know what to do anymore," he admitted. "Things used to be so…easy between us. And now it seems I can't even walk by her without getting into a fight about something. I mean, really Ryan, what am I supposed to do? I want to prove that I still love her, but I'm not even sure I do anymore." Ryan was quiet.

"I'm just confused," Troy added to fill the silence. He sat down next to Ryan, putting his head in his hands, rubbing his temples, trying to think. Ryan stared at the door, as if doing so would help him think of something to say. Hadn't he been comforting Gabriella not too long ago of the same thing?

"I think things will work out," Ryan tried saying, even though he was pretty sure things were going to go downhill from now on if Troy truly didn't have any feelings for her anymore. "I mean, you two are like, meant to be."

"Everybody keeps saying that," he muttered. "Ever since we met, they've always said that. What if they're wrong though, what if we're _not _'meant to be'? Then what? I don't know!"

"Well, Sharpay – "

"I'm _never_ going out with Sharpay. I'm sorry dude, but I just can't handle your sister," Troy protested. The two of them laughed. Troy shifted in his seat, a spark of adrenaline entering his system as something in the pool of his emotions clicked together with a sudden understanding as he sat by the flamboyant blonde. It was starting again, only this time, in an undeniable way. Suppressing an emotion for a long period of time was bound to shoot back up, right? All these words – all these _labels_ – passed through his head once he realized this. He didn't want any of them to be true. They couldn't be. He didn't want to do it, it would confuse Ryan, but he had to make sure. An…experiment.

"Ryan," he said, making the blonde turn to face him before pressing his lips against his.


	11. Shaky Ground

**A/N:** Hey, I'm back! Not really, but I do have a chapter for you (a long one too, idk if you want to groan about it or jump for joy). Even though I have writer's block, and multiple other projects to work on, I had to do something for you guys. I got 1000+ hits on this story, which I'm REALLY excited about because I don't even know a thousand people (I highly doubt I have a thousand ppl who are even reading this author's note, but I'm happy nonetheless). Thank you all who read at least something, and all five of my reviewers for reviewing. Your feedback plus a lot of fanfic reading has given me the motivation to keep writing (even tho it sucks atm). I love you guys!

Plot wise: sorry people, no Ryan in it today. But he should be appearing in most chapters after this one because it's finally getting somewhere (in case ppl haven't noticed, I've taken a style where I mostly alternate the chapters on being Troy centric, or Ryan centric. this doesn't apply to all chapters tho). This is sort of wrapping up the Gabriella unit, so she won't be much of a bother in the story anymore. And sorry for the flop of the ending of this chapter, I had totally scoped out the whole scene yesterday in my head, and something went wrong in the process between what's in my head, to the words typed on the screen. =P Anybody else hate when that happens?

wow, that's a long author's note…srry (actually, it was longer cuz i was going to ask ur opinion on something, but i'll just add that in the next chapter's A/N)

**C**_h_a**p**_t_e**r** _E_l**e**_v_e**n**_: _S**h**_a_k**y** _G_r**o**_u_n**d**

A week had passed, and Gabriella and Troy still hadn't talked to each other. The Star Dazzle Talent Show was right around the corner, and all the other wildcats except Troy were working harder than ever to perfect the song.

In fact, Troy had been avoiding Lava Springs all together. Gabriella was there, Sharpay was there, and, the worst of them all, Ryan was there. Troy didn't think he could ever face him again.

He still didn't understand his own actions that night. He just…did. He did it without thought. It was like through out the discussion they were having, he was identifying gay traits about himself. And then Ryan had said experimenting was good, so, why not? He had wanted to make sure. Those damn emotions pulling him this way and that made it seem perfectly reasonable to kiss him. And part of him wanted to do it again.

He cussed at himself; he couldn't be _gay_. Or somewhat gay, or whatever it was. It was another fluke. Right? And he was with Gabriella. He loved her, or at least, he _did_. He had loved her very much, so how could he possibly be gay?

_You're not_, he assured himself. He then continued to try and hopelessly convince himself, _It was just Ryan. Being around him changed you, temporarily of course. Oh, who am I kidding, it's not Ryan's fault._ He continued to sit at home, debating with himself, unable to leave even to go to work. As if the walls of his room could keep the homosexuality out.

Maybe he had been amused, and possibly curious. In the pool, when Ryan had come out to him when he was absolutely furious, Troy had been awed by that fact. Not so much that Ryan was gay, but the fact that he had no shame in admitting it. He could say it over and over and not care while Troy struggled to even think it. Hadn't he always been afraid this was true about himself though? In high school? Even in middle school, hadn't he always been afraid that one day he'd run into some guy he'd instantly fall in love with? That Gabriella would fade into a memory and he'd want to spend his life with another man?

He corrected himself. Besides being socially awkward depending on who he hung out with, he would have no problem with that scenario. He could even be happy. No, he was more worried on how his parents, his friends, his extended family, his boss (granted he found a stable job to stay with), and his past lovers would react to this. Everyone he knew, everyone he cared about, how would they react? It would be bad, wouldn't it? He might lose them all for this one significant lover, and he wasn't willing to risk it.

That's why he envied and admired Ryan. Everyone knew and nobody cared. They still loved him; their opinions of him hadn't changed. And he could be with that special someone (no matter who it was) without any regret.

Troy continued to toss his basketball up in the air, catch it, and throw it again. What was he going to do? Why did it finally click that he could have feelings for men? Especially when he was with Ryan, an openly gay student. Maybe being around him had made him more comfortable, made him slip up and have that part of him be revealed.

He still continued to reminisce that kiss with Ryan. It felt different than when he was with Gabriella, but…ultimately, it was the same. It was hard to explain. But the same emotions he'd feel with Gabriella were present with Ryan, and it caused him to wonder if maybe he liked him, or if that was just from the adrenaline rush.

He remembered how Ryan responded. He was just shocked, unable to respond, even as Troy moved his lips against his, he wouldn't respond. He didn't push him away, but didn't kiss him back either, instead staring wide-eyed at him. And when Troy pulled away, Ryan continued to look confused.

"Ryan," he had started, beginning to realize what he had done. Ryan melted from this stunned expression and turned away.

"What are you doing?" He demanded. "Gabriella –"

"I…I don't know," he babbled. "It was just – I don't know. I didn't mean to…Ryan."

"Get out," he snapped.

"Ryan, please," he begged.

"Get _out_!" Ryan said brusquely. "You've already done enough for one day." Troy eventually left, leaving Ryan a confused mess. It mustn't have been that bad, since Ryan hadn't chosen to call him during the last week since that night, demanding for answers.

Throughout the week, his parents had come in, worried. Naturally, they found it unhealthy for the athletic boy to be kept indoors while it was so nice out. But, realizing there was obviously something wrong, they didn't press the question. Which was good, since Troy had no idea how he was going to approach this subject with his father.

He thought about Ryan some more, his very name causing his heart to quicken. Had he been this way when he had met Gabriella? He searched his memories, and it was confirmed: _yes_. How odd, he found it, not understanding how those feelings could be present for both. Surely one had to outweigh the other. But they didn't.

Ryan. The fair-skinned, hat wearing, tight-fitting, flamboyant Ryan, the drama – dare he think it – queen? Was it possible he had _feelings _for him. He barely even knew him! Yes, they had known each other in high school. Yes, he had watched him perform on stage with his sister. Yes, he had been standing behind Sharpay when she made attempts to grab his heart, but he had never known Ryan as Ryan. In fact, the closest they'd ever gotten was that night when Troy…kissed him.

So what were these feelings then? A crush? He couldn't think of a better word to explain it.

Drifting from the topic of Ryan, Troy wondered if anyone else had felt this way. If Chad, Jason, Zeke, or anyone else from the basketball team had ever felt such emotions for someone of the same sex. It would make him feel better if they had, that way he wouldn't have to start accepting the fact that he really _was_ gay and that it wasn't just some fluke, experimental phase.

He got off of his bed, gazing towards the window. He had to get back out in the real world some time or another, and set the record straight (that was suddenly a weird word to use). Maybe he would talk to Chad or something, and maybe, just maybe, everything that he was thinking, everything he was feeling, didn't actually mean anything.

Although this revelation sounded great, a small part of his heart ached. If he was proved wrong, he couldn't have Ryan. And he wanted him too.

_I'll come back to this tomorrow,_ he thought before turning back towards his room.

**x **_x_ x **X** _x_ x **x**

"Troy, man, long time no see," Chad greeted him, coming out and clapping him on the back before allowing him inside. Troy smiled before walking into the all-too familiar interior of the Danforth house. He had finally managed to get outside of his room, and his first task of the day (and by far the easiest) was talking to Chad.

"Yeah, I know right," he agreed. "What have you been up to?"

"Trouble," his dark-skinned friend answered with a mischievous grin. "Nothing much, actually. Just hoops, Taylor, and Sharpay's dance thingy. What about you, man? I haven't heard from you in a while."

"Oh, I've been, uh, sick," Troy reasoned, not finding any better reason to explain why he'd been cooped up in his room for over a week. "I didn't realize you were going to be in the talent show."

"Trust me, I didn't want to, but Taylor's doing it so…" he let the sentence drift off from there. Troy nodded before sitting on the counter.

"I thought you said you don't dance," he teased. Chad shook his bushy head and laughed it off.

"You know, I think me and Taylor are getting pretty serious," Chad admitted. "It's kind of scary. I mean, me? In a serious relationship? It doesn't even seem natural." Troy laughed.

"Yeah," he agreed. "Hey Chad, have you ever…" He wasn't sure how to word the question. It wasn't the most…normal question to ask a friend if they had ever had a crush on someone of the same gender. Even to ask it of a best friend was kind of awkward. "Have you ever liked anyone besides Taylor?"

"Dude, what kind of question is that," Chad asked. "You out of everyone I know should know that."

"I know, I know," he reasoned. "Just out of curiosity though, who is your most…embarrassing crush?" Chad's brow furrowed, confused by the random question, but let the oddity of it drift from his mind to try and answer the question.

"Most embarrassing crush," he repeated, thinking over all of his past love interests that he could recall. He then made a sickish look. "Okay man, but you've got to promise you won't tell. If you say anything to anyone, I will hunt you down, I swear."

"Okay," Troy said, his heart beating faster at the possibility that his friend would confide in an experience that would be similar to his current one.

"Okay, so back in grade school, I thought…" he paused, the next words acting like acid on his tongue. "_Sharpay _was hot." He then made a face of disgust. "God, I was so freaking demented as a kid, I can't even begin to tell you." Troy stood in disappointed shock. Sharpay wasn't a name he had been hoping to hear. Indeed, it wasn't what he'd expected, but it now made him feel weirder that these homosexual feelings were only happening to him.

"But, have you ever had a crush on a guy," Troy asked bluntly. The confused expression that had been on his best friend's face earlier had came back, only intensified. This time, he couldn't push the question aside.

"What? No," he said, only getting more confused as a million thoughts bombarded him at once at this one particular question. "Why? Do you think I'm gay or something?" Troy shook his head.

"No, no, I'm not saying that," he insisted. "I was just curious, that's all." Chad still looked confused, only now a bit worried.

"Dude, you all right?" He wondered. "You're acting…weird."

"It's nothing," he muttered. "So you and Taylor…how serious are we talking?" Chad blinked, still puzzled on Troy's train of thought at the moment. First he was wondering if he had any crushes in the past (which could sort of answer itself), then he was asking about embarrassing crushes, then he was questioning his sexuality, and now he wanted to get back to the topic of his girlfriend. What was Troy smoking? Something was obviously making him high. Chad shook his head, clearing the weird conversation that had taken place, but remained to look at Troy warily. What was wrong with his best friend?

**x **_x_ x **X** _x_ x **x**

"Hey Taylor, do you know where Gabriella is?" Troy asked once she opened the door. Finding Gabriella was the second thing on his list, and also easier than the last thing he planned to do. He'd already had several more awkward conversations with his basketball friends, and their results came up the same as Chad's. Why was it only happening to _him_? Why was _he_ the defective one? He just couldn't figure it out, and all this stress made him absolutely hopeless in figuring out what his true sexuality was.

"She's not here," she replied, her voice a little cold. His showdown with Ryan seemed to still be on people's minds.

"Then can you tell me where she is? I need to talk to her, and she won't answer her phone or anything," he reasoned. "Please?"

"I think she's at Lava Springs or something, but, to be honest, I'm not sure," she replied. "Sorry." Troy sighed and she closed the door, but didn't pester her anymore as he tried to rack his mind for what her schedule might be at the moment. He really hoped she wasn't at Lava Springs. He still wasn't up to facing that debacle yet.

Walking away from the house, his hands in his pockets, kicking himself mentally for not being able to remember where she might be, the few stray thoughts about what he'd talk to her about hit him. He hadn't been so sure earlier, only thinking of a vague start by apologizing for his actions from over a week ago. But how was he ever going to explain to her what was happening to him now?

He hated it. How could he fathom to ruin his relationship with the perfect girl – being the beautiful, talented, smart, and creative person she was – for this stupid feeling he was having for another _guy_? He just wished this phase – this feeling, this glitch, this whatever it was – would go away, and that he could forget all about it without having that heartsick feeling encouraging him to pursue it.

He paused in his mental rantings for a second. His incoherent thoughts connected a clue together: Gabriella. Smart. School. Creative. Didn't she have an art class at the high school at this time? He wasn't sure if the class was today, but he was encouraged by this possible lead.

He headed back to his house, climbing behind the wheel of his car before heading in the direction of East High. It felt kind of weird, actually, heading back to the school that had given him glorified popularity.

As he arrived in front of the school, he couldn't believe his luck to find Gabriella just exiting the building, heading towards her car. He felt his heart jump; grateful he had found her. He had barely taken the keys out of the ignition before he was bolting after her.

"Gabriella!" He called. She stopped, looking around her as he continued to run across the school grounds towards her. "Gabriella!" She squinted against the dying sun, and recognizing him, her face turned slightly to dread. "Wait up!" She waited for him, but didn't look very willing.

"What are you doing here, Troy?" She asked. "How'd you find me?"

"I was looking for you," he replied once he caught up to her. "Can we talk?"

"Sure," she replied as they then continued to walk around the school, no particular destination in mind.

"Gabriella, I'm sorry," he began after a few seconds of awkward silence. "I was stupid, and I know it's taken me forever to tell you this, but I can't tell you how much I'm sorry."

"I don't think you should be apologizing to me," she muttered. "Ryan's the one – "

"I know, but I think I owe it to you to say I'm sorry for the way I behaved," he stated. "It was also wrong of me to presume that you were cheating on me. I should know better." _In fact, I'm more unfaithful than you_, he added to himself.

"Look Troy, don't beat yourself up for this," she replied. "We've both been on shaky ground lately. It's not the most illogical thing for you to do." She then kissed his cheek. "Besides, I admire that you can even admit that you're wrong." He smiled weakly, other thoughts invading his brain at what he also had to tell her. He didn't want to, but he owed her that much.

"Gabriella, I…I…," he couldn't figure out how to start it, already hating where this conversation would lead. She looked at him questioningly, and Troy found himself unable to look at her in the eyes. Instead, he looked at her lips. The ones he had kissed so many times, yet now they gave him a different feeling than before.

"What is it?"

"Something's…happened to me," he tried, not understanding how he was going to word this and avoid the whole gay part. He continued to ramble on. "And I just need some time to myself…to figure this all out and stuff. I think I just need to be…by myself, you know." She nodded, slowly understanding what he was saying.

"This isn't just because I thought you were proposing right," she wondered. "Because I'd feel horrible if –"

"No, no, of course not," he assured her. "It's something way different." She nodded, as if understanding his gibberish. He continued to stare at her, thinking of possibly experimenting again and comparing the two kisses. Who knew, it could end up helping him. "Can I just…" He drifted off as he leaned in, kissing her gently. He felt guilty for what he felt. The same feelings that were present the previous times he had kissed her were still there, but dulled compared to the feelings he had experienced with Ryan. He ripped away, shaking his head at those ridiculous thoughts.

She seemed to learn something from that kiss as well. "You're gay, aren't you?"

He blanched. How could she automatically presume that? He was ready to protest that, argue it, but the expression on her face was set, reassured by the expression on his face that she was right.

"I'm not sure," he admitted, defeated. "That's why I need this time apart." She nodded.

"How'd you know," she wondered quietly.

"Ryan."

"You mean you suddenly thought you were gay because Ryan told you he was when you two ended up in the pool?" She looked confused.

"Not exactly," he replied. "I talked to him later, and…yeah…" She shook her head.

"Weird," she said, trying to make light of the subject. "I guess I always thought you were. I mean, c'mon, did I really think I could get lucky with you?" Troy frowned.

"What? What do you mean you always thought I was?"

"Well, you look gay," she reasoned. "You've always been a little obsessive of your appearance." He couldn't believe she was saying this.

` "I do not look gay," he argued defensively.

"Oh please, look at your hair," she said, smiling now that they've began this playful banter.

"What's wrong with my hair?"

"And you're clothes; wow, they're tight," she continued, ignoring him.

"It's the style now a days!" He reasoned. She looked at him, lifting an eyebrow.

" 'It's the style now a days'," she repeated. "Wow, you _are_ gay."

"I'm not gay! At least not one-hundred percent," he insisted. She chuckled. "I can't believe you!" She laughed.

"Well," she said. "It was a thought that had occurred to me. Or whenever we'd drift apart or something, I always had that one second where I was like 'omigod, he's probably gay'. At least this time, it's confirmed." They both smiled, finding a little humor in this. But now, it brought back the reason why he'd just broken up with her.

"Hey," he said, making sure she looked him in the eye. "What we had, Gabriella, it was real. I wasn't pretending or anything, I really did care about you romantically. It's just, I don't know, I think it's some sort of hormonal phase. Anyways, I'm going to figure out what's exactly going on with me, and who knows, it might not be a permanent thing. Or maybe I'll just realize how much you mean to me." He tried to sound hopeful for their relationship potentially rekindling later. She looked uneasy with this idea, and shook her head.

"No Troy," she argued. "Whatever it is, you have to deal with it. And, let's be honest with each other and not try to fill our heads with false hopes. If this is it for us, then so be it. I don't want to feel like I'm waiting for you. Don't get me wrong Troy, I do love you, but, obviously this isn't meant to be." She smiled sadly before kissing his cheek one last time. "I've got to go." She started back towards the parking lot. He turned back to the direction she was headed.

"We can still be friends, right?" He asked, hoping they could still remain close.

She turned around, wearing the classic smile she always had with her. "Definitely."

"And Gabriella," he started. She turned around again.

"Yes Troy?"

"Could you do me a favor, and uh, not mention this to anyone," he wondered. She nodded.

"Of course, Troy. Goodnight."

He felt accomplished. Things had worked out all right, all things considered. Now only the greatest challenge of them all remained on his list. Talk to Ryan. He sighed. He'd deal with that tomorrow.


	12. Denied vs Denial

**A/N:** So...long time no see everybody! Um, I could use a ton of excuses of why I haven't updated in so long (being sick, no Internet for two weeks, 7hrs of homework each night, busy holiday season) but the reality of it is that I've been a little lazy. Truth be told, I actually wrote this chapter like two weeks ago, but I have a goal set up for when I decide to publish it on here (which is more of a deadline for me to make sure I get it done than like punishment for you guys or something), and actually, I still haven't reached that goal but I'm tired of waiting haha. I also hope to get another chapter up for you guys sometime during the holiday break because I think you all deserve something (since I'm obviously a little slow on updating things haha).

Notes for this chapter: hmm, well it's pretty short and looking at it from a critical standpoint: it doesn't flow very well. Some of the sentences in here feel very random and that's probably because I was trying too hard to write when I'm still in writer's block (yes, I still have it _ but i hear the only cure is to write anyways no matter how much it annoys you). I know I mentioned in the last chapter that I was going to ask for your opinion on something, but I changed my mind due to some feedback i heard (not directly to me, but something I kept in mind anyway). So, I have a different question for you guys instead: I have gotten a few reviews now asking for an appearance from Luca. I have devised a situation in my head where he could show up, but my original plan was to just have a cameo appearance for him towards the end. So if you have an opinion of one way or another, just let me know.

Wow, another long author's note. I think it's because of the gap between updating ;)

**C**_h_a**p**_t_e**r** _T_w**e**_l_v**e**_:_ D**e**_n_i**e**_d_ v**s**_. _D**e**_n_i**a**_l_

Troy self-consciously wound his way through Lava Springs. He had already gone through the battle of sneaking into the resort (mostly by slipping past Mr. Fulton), and now he searched the grounds anxiously for the blonde who was probably wearing some sort of fedora or newsboy cap.

This task was harder than it seemed. Unlike his obnoxious sister, Ryan wasn't one to draw attention to himself. He easily blended into the crowd (despite his ostentatious wardrobe); often overlooked in a scene. No wonder the boy so easily fit as his sister's shadow and often felt invisible; his quiet nature hid him well.

Troy continued to look every which way. Each splash in the pool, each slight movement from the tanning bodies on chaises, each new body entering the pool scene caused him to look in hopes of seeing him. He wanted to at least see him first, not exactly confronting him just yet. It was a double-edged sword, wanting but unwanting to see him again. Who knew how Ryan would react to his presence.

There! Newly joining the morning swimmers and sunbathers, Ryan emerged from the resort, embracing the sun. Today he wore red swim trunks, a white polo, topped with a red fedora. God, he was beautiful.

Troy snapped himself out of this phase. Was he really that gay? Or was he becoming more stereotypical each second that passed with the realization of his homosexuality? He made a beeline through the crowd, making sure the Evans boy never left his sight. All the while, a dull thought in the back of his mind wondered how he was ever going to broach any subject with him after their kiss.

He dodged strolling pedestrians, eliminating the distance between them foot by foot. Ryan was completely unaware of Troy until he was nearly standing right in front of him. Ryan's always-present smile began to fade from his face. Troy was unable to read his eyes though, for they were shielded by sunglasses. Both seemed at a loss for words.

"Hey Ryan," Troy tried greeting him, although he knew this was probably an awkward moment for both of them.

"Hey Troy, it's been a while," he replied, his tone brightening again. Like nothing had happened. "Did you get a membership or what? Normally, you're not here unless it's to see Gabriella. Funny thing, though, I don't believe she's working today." He stepped forward. "See you around, Troy." Troy stepped in his path.

"Can we talk?"

Ryan's brows came together. "About?"

"You _know_?" He insisted.

"Hmm, well, maybe later," Ryan said, trying to brush past him. Troy continued to impede. "That's kind of annoying,"

"Ryan, let me explain –"

"No, let _me_ save you the breath," he reasoned. "I get it, Troy. You don't have to explain or 'prove' yourself to me. What happened, it…it was a mistake. I understand that, okay. Experimenting due to hormonal imbalance is a perfectly logical reasoning. I'm not going to try to hit on you or ruin your relationship with Gabriella. I'm not that much a bitch. So don't worry, we can both just move on and pretend it didn't happen." He smiled. "Happy?" He then made a third attempt to get past him. Troy didn't fail to obstruct his path. "This isn't funny, Troy!"

"I don't want to pretend it didn't happen," Troy said, making sure Ryan knew he was serious.

"Well, I do," he reasoned, his voice not carrying the light-hearted tone as it did earlier. "I don't want to play games, Troy." He then pushed past him, advancing toward an open chaise. Troy's jaw tightened, unable to accept this refusal.

"I gave it all up for you, Ryan," he tried desperately, wishing for him to stay. "I want to try this – whatever 'this' is. I broke up with Gabriella, you know." Ryan turned.

"That's your fault then, not mine," he reasoned.

"Ryan!"

He turned to face him. "Why would you think I'd ever want to be with _you_? Last I remember: _you're_ the one who kissed me. I'm sorry if you're suddenly having problems figuring out your sexuality, but frankly, that's not my problem. I'm not interested. Mostly because you're so obsessed with yourself that you don't give a crap about anybody else. Even right now, it's all about you: you're so full of yourself, you honestly thought I'd be willing to be your bitch. Wake up princess, you can't have everything you want."

"This isn't just about me, Ryan. It's about you too!"

He shook his head. "No, it's not. If you really cared about me, you'd already know I wasn't interested. You'd know that I'm in no condition to be in a relationship. In fact, I came here to try and forget about…you know what, it doesn't even matter. The point is I've already been broken so many times that I don't need you to be added to the list. Besides, if you're just discovering your sexuality, why the hell do you want to be in a relationship already?" He shook his head. "I'm sorry, Troy. I just can't deal with it." He stood there, confused even further. This wasn't the way he thought it would go. And now he wasn't sure what to do.

"I just need a friend," he tried as a last effort. "I don't understand what I'm feeling. And, you're the only person I know who even slightly understands what I'm going through. Maybe a relationship isn't what I'm really asking for, just a friend. Please, Ry? I don't know what I'm going to do."

Ryan stopped again, and closed his eyes. Not that Troy would be able to see, even if he was facing him. He had had this all figured out. He had told himself he wouldn't react weakly. On normal circumstances, he would've been more sincere to the situation at hand. But he had known somehow, someway, Troy was going to take advantage of him. And he wouldn't – couldn't – let that happen again.

There was something in his voice though. Ryan couldn't put his finger on it, but there was some ring of desperation that reminded him of the same position he had been in during the early years of his adolescence. A sort of fear and the inability to know how to cure it. Wouldn't it be more of a crime not to help him? He wasn't sure.

"A friend," he repeated. "I thought I already was." Troy smiled a little.

"Thanks, Ry."

He sighed heavily. Why did it seem he always had to be the higher person


	13. Family Bonding

**A/N:** ...it's a disappointment of a chapter. Slightly vital to the plot tho. Perhaps I'll revise it later. No Troy today, but it should be more central on them in the coming chapters. The question about Luca's appearance still remains up (stated in the previous chapter). I know this probably wasn't what you were looking forward to, but we have to get thru the dull stuff to get to the good stuff right? Anywhoo, happy holidays everyone and have a happy new year!

**C**_h_a**p**_t_e**r** _T_h**i**_r_t**e**_e_n**:** _F_a**m**_i_l**y** _B_o**n**_d_i**n**_g_

"Ryan. Ryan!" Sharpay sat upright in her chaise before snapping her manicured fingers in front of her twin's face. "You're not even listening to me."

Ryan stirred a little, glad his sunglasses were able to block off the surprise from the sudden motion in front of his face. "Of course I'm listening," he assured her absently. She slid her own sunglasses down her nose so she could emphasize her point in her pretentious glare.

"What's going on with you, huh?" She demanded. "Don't act like I haven't seen it since the very first day. This – " she gestured to his body with her open palm in a zig-zag motion, "isn't you. Now what's going on, and don't you dare lie to me." He looked over at her.

"It's just this…problem with Troy," he said vaguely, deciding to use Troy as his scapegoat. She pursed her lips before lifting her glass of pink lemonade off the table and takings a sip.

"I _know_ that's not it," she said coldly. "This attitude thing has been going on all summer. And honestly, I can't stand it. Be happy again."

He smirked at her instructive tone. "If you say so." There was a little bit of silence between the two. Sharpay sat back, sunning herself again before speaking:

"I'm serious Ry. I don't know if it's the twin telepathy crap or what, but I know that you haven't been happy. And I hate seeing you like this. Honest." She sucked in her lower lip. "Plus I'm going to loose the talent show if you don't get your act together." Ryan shook his head. For some reason, he almost thought she was worried about his sake. But once again, Sharpay showed that her ulterior motive was only to serve herself. Why did he always assume it would be something more?

"Don't you ever think of anybody but yourself?" He wondered. Sharpay didn't answer. The expression he saw displayed on her face only further persuaded him that she didn't care. The thing was, she did care. She just had a hard time letting anybody else see.

**x **_x_ x **X** _x_ x** x**

Ryan lay in bed, still unable to get to sleep. He couldn't even figure out why. Maybe it was this new thing with Troy or maybe it was the continuous calls from Luca. He couldn't exactly put his finger on which it was. Either way, one or both of these situations were stressing him out, making him feel too overwhelmed to do anything. Deprivation of sleep was one of them.

He turned in his sheets, looking over at the nightstand that held his phone. The one Luca had the number to. What was he going to do about this? Wasn't he just injuring himself by not getting rid of the damned thing already? For some reason, he couldn't get himself to destroy it.

Then there was this whole new situation with Troy. Ryan was still unsure what he was going to do about this one. He had come to the conclusion earlier in the week that Troy was just confused, and that whatever happened between them was nothing. Even when Troy had told him earlier that morning that he was indeed gay, Ryan had a hard time believing it. He couldn't help being cautious of these things. Especially with jocks like him.

He wasn't sure what he was going to do about him. Even if, per se, he actually was gay, the situation wouldn't get any less awkward. What was he supposed to do if that was the case? Was he supposed to help him come out of the closet or just leave him alone or what? He wasn't sure. The only thing he was sure on was that he wasn't going to become attached. His gentle heart had always been too welcoming, but he couldn't allow being trampled on anymore. Just couldn't. If he kept this thought in mind, he would come out the other end in good shape.

A soft knock came from the door before Sharpay opened it, coming in wearing soft flannel pajamas with a pink robe over it. Her hair, for once, wasn't groomed to perfection. Instead, it was in a floppy ponytail.

"Can I come in," she asked. He nodded and she rushed over to his bed, bunny slippers hopping with her. She climbed in, much like when they were younger, and curled into her brother's frame.

"Can't sleep?" He guessed.

"No," she replied. "And you know what, I can't even put my finger on why." He smiled.

"Me either," he replied. She looked over at him, finding it slightly out of place to find her brother without a hat.

"No night cap?"

"Too much of a nuisance," he replied, smiling wider. She smiled as well before returning to the subject.

"It must be a twin thing, you know," she said. "To sort of share each other's feelings. Honestly, I feel fine, but…there's just something off you know. So really Ry, what is it?" He shook his head, starting to move away from her.

"Look, it's nothing Shar. You're worried over nothing," he tried assuring her. She rolled her eyes.

"You've _got_ _to _try harder than that," she reasoned. They were both quiet for a while, lying there. She then spoke up, but not of the situation at hand. "Hey, remember when we were kids and we used to do this all the time. For the stupidest reasons too. I'd come into your room or you'd come into my room and we'd sleep together because we were afraid of the monster under the bed or we were hurt or sick or something like that." He grinned at the memories and nodded.

"Of course I do."

She adjusted herself so they could face each other without difficulty. "So why won't you let me scare whatever monster that is after you?" He couldn't look away from her, knowing it would reveal that he was hiding something, but he couldn't continue looking at her either, for he knew he would end up crying. But if there was anyone he put his guard down for, it was his sister.

"It's a long story," he warned.

"So," she wondered. "I can't let you be miserable either." He shook his head and sighed.

"You've always been so stubborn," he insisted. She smiled, finding it a compliment. He paused for a moment before telling her the truth. "His name was Luca." He let the name drift in the air for a minute before confiding to her the relationship he had with him. Sharpay didn't interject once (which was a record for anyone who knew Sharpay) and by the end of his story she was comforting her sobbing twin, all the while claiming she was going to hunt that queen down.

Ryan held a small smile through his tears at her threats before telling her it wasn't necessary. He then wiped his eyes.

"I feel so stupid," he admitted.

"Well it's his loss," she said bitterly, still unhappy with the situation at hand.

"I was referring to the fact that I'm crying," he corrected her. "I mean, it's been a few months now. I should be over him already." Sharpay shook her head.

"You really liked this guy. It's gonna take _way_ more than a month for you to get over him. Trust me, I know," she told him. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Still sniffling, Ryan answered, "it didn't seem necessary." She shook her head, anger boiling.

"No one gets to hurt an Evans," she insisted. "Not on my watch!"

"Shar, Shar! It's okay. As much as I appreciate that you want to beat my ex up, I can fight my own battles too," he said. She sighed.

"I know, I know. I just…you're my brother, and I…it's my job to protect you." He kissed the top of her head.

"And you do a very good job," he complimented. She smiled sadly, brushing the few remaining tears off his face.

"I try," she replied. "But apparently I can't protect you from everything." He laughed lightly, holding her close to him. And for the first time in thirteen years, they were siblings again. Sharpay wasn't the spoiled cold-hearted brat, and Ryan wasn't her subservient bitch. They were just innocent children.


	14. The Gay Duckling

**A/N:** This is the chapter that is owed to you guys. Not the last one, that one was just blah. Definitely more Troy/Ryan stuff coming up. Promise. And believe it or not, I just whipped this chapter out today. Thank you long, boring, 3 hour car rides. You motivate me to write because there's absolutely nothing else to do. I Edited through it and there are some…hmm, skippy parts I'd call them. You know, like on a scratched DVD and it sort of skips over a part of the movie. Kind of like that.

Um, idk, random thought but the title of this chapter was inspired by the show Ugly Betty. There's a scene where this girl, Amanda, encourages her friend Marc to stay with this guy because he was "recently hatched from the gay egg". haha, thus, she was able to make him give him a chance by saying he was his little gay duckling.

**C**_h_a**p**_t_e**r** _F_o**u**_r_t**e**_e_n**:** _T_h**e** _G_a**y** _D_u**c**_k_l**i**_n_g

Ryan stood before his closet, unsure what he wanted to wear that day. He liked green, but blue looked better on him. He continued to look back and forth between the two outfits, wondering which was better. The blue wasn't really good for warm weather (the white dress shirt and the vest would surely make him faint as soon as he went outside), but he wasn't sure if the striped green polo would look good on him. Too bad Sharpay wasn't there. She was busy at the spa with her drones.

"Good morning," greeted a new voice. He jumped, turning only to find Troy in his room.

"What are you doing here?" He demanded, not pleased that the jock was in his room while he was still wearing his pajamas. Not to mention he hadn't attended to his hair yet: fine short blonde hair sticking up in different odds and ends. If there was one thing Ryan was embarrassed about, it was when anyone saw him before he made himself presentable.

Even when he had been with Luca, he had made quite an effort to make sure the Italian boy didn't see him like that. Luca had found it redundant that Ryan cared so much about something as 'little' as that, but it had always been a big deal to him.

There had been that one time though, where he tried sneaking out to get ready for the day when Luca unexpectantly pulled him back.

"Why do you wake up so early?" He asked, eyes still partly closed. For a moment, Ryan hadn't understood a word he'd said. Luca's accent was always heavier in the morning, but the grogginess in his voice only further enabled him from comprehending the words.

"I have to get ready," he whispered back. Luca made an effort to open at least one eye fully.

"Why?"

"Because I hate being seen like this," he replied.

"Like what," he wondered.

"You know, without my hair being done or putting some cover-up on or being dressed for that matter," he explained. Luca grinned.

"I like it," he replied. "I love your hair when it's a mess and who cares about makeup? And trust me, you don't need to be dressed." Ryan chuckled.

"You're such a flirt," he told him.

"Hmm, maybe," Luca replied, kissing the top of his head. "Now sleep _il mio amore_." Ryan had hesitated, but then let himself fall back asleep in Luca's arms.

Ryan blinked the thought away. He wouldn't be able to forget about him if he kept thinking about him all the time. He glanced over to Troy. He looked embarrassed.

"I'm sorry," he replied. "I just…I'm not doing anything today and your door was unlocked so – " realizing his ramblings were effortless, he stopped. "I'll leave." He headed back towards the door.

"Just give me ten minutes," Ryan said to stop him. "I'm not even dressed." Troy nodded obediently before leaving. Ryan turned back to his closet and took the green one off the hanger along with his white pants and a matching newsboy cap.

Upon leaving his room, he found Troy leaning against the wall next to his door.

"You look good," he commented quietly. Ryan narrowed his eyes at him.

"All right, what do you want," he asked, heading towards the elevator.

"Nothing," Troy replied. "I was just wondering if you wanted to hang out." Ryan looked over at him, the words sounding bizarre and unheard of coming from Troy. Was he serious?

"Hang out? You want to hang out with me? Did you fall on your head this morning," he wondered.

"No."

"Well, where's Chad and the rest of your posse," he asked.

"Friends," he corrected. "And I don't really know. I came to hang out with you though."

"Okay, let's pretend that's not weird," Ryan said sarcastically before laughing a little. "You barely know me."

"You're the only one I can talk to though," Troy admitted quietly. Ryan once again felt that pang of pity.

"Okay then," he replied, his tone softening. "I'm not really doing much today, so I guess we can 'hang out'." Troy smiled.

"Thanks."

**x **_x_ x **X** _x_ x **x**

"No offense or anything, but I hardly think we have anything in common to talk about," Ryan said to Troy, popping a grape into his mouth. They were both basking in the sun, sitting on one of the fake rock formations out on the golf course, a bowl of grapes stolen from the kitchen sitting between them. "Sorry but I find basketball a dumb sport."

Troy rolled his eyes, picking off some of the juicier looking grapes and putting them in his mouth. "That's because you've never played."

"I don't have to play to know it's dumb," he replied laughing. Troy shook his head.

"Then why were you our mascot senior year," he teased. Ryan smiled, replying instantly in his mind: _To be near you_. He couldn't exactly say that now, though. It would be weird and he didn't feel that way anymore.

"I didn't volunteer for that," he insisted. "No one else wanted to, so they just stuck me in the suit. I wanted to be a cheerleader." Troy choked on his grape trying to laugh at that statement. Ryan? A cheerleader? It was totally believable.

"Really," he coughed out, the grape still stuck. Ryan laughed at him until he realized he couldn't stop. Then he was slightly worried about Troy's sake.

"You all right?" He wondered, clapping on his back to help him. After the first few tries, Troy stopped choking, the grape finally finding its way down his throat. Troy shook his head.

"I'm sitting here dying and you laugh?" He said, incredulous. Ryan blushed.

"Well how was I supposed to know that? You could've said, 'hey, I'm dying; help' or something like that," he insisted. Troy shook his head and stuck his tongue out at him.

"Yes, because the fact that I'm choking isn't enough," he said sarcastically. They both laughed.

"So do you play your stupid ball game in Berkeley too," Ryan asked. Troy nodded.

"It's great," he replied. "I still get to see Chad and them whenever we're playing against them." Ryan nodded. "I do theater too, you know."

"Really," he wondered.

"You sound so surprised," Troy said mockingly.

"I don't know. I just always thought you were in theater to be with Gabriella," Ryan said. "I mean, I know you said that you chose Berkeley so you can be in both theater and basketball, but, I don't know, I didn't think you were serious." Troy nodded.

"I guess," he agreed.

"Obviously I was wrong," Ryan said.

"What about you? How's Julliard been?" He asked. God, Ryan wished everyone would quit asking him that question.

"It's great," he said nonchalantly. "I love it." Troy nodded, pretending he bought that. Obviously there was something wrong, but he knew better than to push it.

"That's good," he replied. "Are you going to be on Broadway?" Ryan smiled.

"That's the plan."

"Your family must be proud," Troy assumed. Ryan shook his head.

"They don't care. I mean, they're supportive but…" he let his sentence drift. Troy nodded.

"That's never happened to me before," he mused. "I mean, all I've been doing my whole life has been trying to make my dad proud you know." Ryan nodded.

"It's a good thing you can measure up," he said.

"That's why I'm worried," Troy replied quietly. Ryan became quiet as well as he watched him struggle with this new concept: the fact that he might ruin his 'Golden Boy' reputation with his sexuality.

"Troy – "

"I've heard that it's just better to 'come out'," he continued, unable to look at him. "But Ryan, I don't think I can. They said my fears of what my friends and family will think are nothing. That they'll just accept me. Well, it's all bull when you're talking about _my_ life."

"Who's they," Ryan asked softly. Troy looked up, not expecting this question.

"Huh? Oh, um…during that week after we…you know, I looked up some stuff on the Internet – " Ryan raised a brow. "Not like icky stuff, but just on this whole coming out business and being…you know, gay." Ryan nodded. "There's a lot of comments out there saying that I should come out, but I don't want to."

"So you're just going to lie to everyone you know forever? That's hard," Ryan said.

"Not lie. Just…hide. I mean, obviously I have a choice – "

"You can't _choose _to be gay or straight," Ryan corrected.

"But I can," Troy reasoned. "I was in love with Gabriella. That wasn't fake or anything. I just…I'm confused right now, that's all. When I figure this all out, I can go back to the way it used to be. Just because I _might_ be attracted to guys doesn't mean all of a sudden I'm not attracted to girls."

"So, you're bisexual then," Ryan wondered, his brows coming together and appearing slightly confused. Troy smiled at the expression, finding it a little cute.

"Maybe," he answered. "Until then, I guess I'm just experimenting." Ryan nodded. He looked down at the bowl of grapes. It seemed like they had been forgotten. He grabbed a few and put one in his mouth.

"What are you going to say though when your parents ask why you haven't settled down yet?" He asked. "I know you said that you're still attracted to girls, but it doesn't seem like you're able to commit though. Gabriella is a perfect example of that. She thought you were going to be there and yet – "

"Isn't it still too early to be getting married?" Troy demanded, flustered with this constant topic of marriage. "I don't – is it wrong to wait?"

"I'm just asking that when you get to the point where you want to settle down, is it going to be with someone you actually love," Ryan clarified. "Or is it just going to be someone your parents approve of." Troy became quiet.

"I'll figure it out," he insisted, although it was evident his reasoning was becoming flimsy. "I, uh, got to go." He stood up, brushing himself off and starting to walk away. Ryan looked down. What else was he supposed to say?

"I'm just worried about you," he tried. "You're not mad, are you?" Troy turned around and shook his head.

"No, not at all," he replied. "I just need some time to think. I'll be back tomorrow. I mean, unless you're busy or sick of seeing my face. I get that, I can find other things to do." He began babbling again.

"It's okay," Ryan assured him. "Just hopefully not as early." They both smiled.

"Thanks," he replied. "Really Ry, it's nice having someone to talk to about all of this. That way I don't feel completely crazy." Ryan smiled. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.


	15. Friends and Lovers

**A/N:** Just went through the editing process this morning. I think it's still a bit weak for writing (the conversations are sort of random and don't flow as nicely as I would like it) but I'll live with it. Um, plot wise, I do apologize for the slow progression of their relationship. I think I'm doing that for personal reasons, because as much as I love the hot fluff, I think it means more when there's a build up to it. But that's just me. So I am trying to cut to the chase now that I'm pretty far in.

On another note, those votes about an appearance from Luca would be helpful right about now. In case you've forgotten, the question is whether Luca should have a formal appearance or just a cameo at the end. Since I've formally posted the question, I've only gotten one vote (thank you nek0-sama). You can vote through the reviews or if you'd rather PM me, that's fine too. And for my fellow readers out there who don't have an account but would like to vote as well, you should be able to do that through the reviews too. No pressure guys!

**C**_h_a**p**_t_e**r** _F_i**f**_t_e**e**_n_: **F**_r_i**e**_n_d**s** _a_n**d** _L_o**v**_e_r**s**

"As much as I love being cooped up here all the time, don't you think we should do something," Troy asked while they sat in Ryan's room, watching a marathon of cheesy romantic comedies that they borrowed from Sharpay's room. Troy was on his umpteenth bag of popcorn while Ryan remained slightly interested in each film they watched, although he was always critiquing the actors.

"Yeah sure," Ryan waved him off, pretending he heard his comment. Troy noticed the distant sound of his voice and chucked popcorn at his hat. Ryan rolled his eyes and turned to face him. "What?"

"I think we should go out," Troy repeated. "There's only a limited amount of things we can do in this place." Ryan looked conflicted of the idea.

"Not until after the talent show," he insisted. "Sharpay has been keeping super close tabs on me because it's almost show time and she gets really stressed out and – well, you get the picture." Troy's face turned sour.

"You two are so weird," he remarked. "It's like you have some sort of limbo romance going on or something." Ryan wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"A _romance_ with my sister? Are you trying to gross me out," he wondered.

Troy shrugged. "It's how it comes off sometimes."

Ryan shook that thought off, finding the profanity in it disgusting. He turned back to the screen where the clumsy straight couple kept getting interrupted by some annoying character. Troy glanced at the screen before commenting:

"You know, these movies would be more interesting if they mixed it up for once. Who cares about the fat, dumb, straight guy and his paranoid, needy, wife when they could change it to something else? Perhaps, instead, they have two men who are honeymooning together and it gets a little…well…hectic." Ryan laughed.

"Television has a hard time showing two guys kissing as a subplot, let alone to base a whole movie around a gay couple. It would be madness," he then started laughing again.

"They've done it before," Troy insisted quietly.

"Yes," Ryan agreed. "But to make a movie marketed to the general public featuring a gay couple as the main characters would not be…easily accepted. Especially among the homophobes."

"My dad," Troy muttered in agreement. Ryan looked over at him, but Troy was now engrossed in the movie as well. He knew better than to try to broach the subject with him, but it seemed more necessary the more they hung out. Ryan was slowly accepting the fact that Troy was kind of growing on him, therefore the subject of Troy's sexuality (and accepting it) was starting to be a topic he worried about.

"When are you going to tell him?" Ryan asked quietly, not wanting to start a fight, but still keenly interested. Troy didn't even blink at the question.

"Never," he replied. Ryan shook his head.

"You're so thick-headed," he murmured, turning away. That comment drew Troy's attention.

"Why do you want me to tell him? I already know how he's going to react," Troy said more harshly than he intended it to be.

"Well, it might be a little helpful if your family knew that you like guys," Ryan tried saying. "And you act like you know how he'll react when you haven't said a thing to him about it."

"Don't talk to me about _my _dad," that seemed to be all he was going to say about the subject when he added, "I mean, he freaked out when he realized I wanted to be in theater. And that was for a _girl_."

"I thought he was just spazzing out because of Ms. Darbus. Plus, I thought you actually enjoyed theater – not just because of the girl," Ryan countered. Troy's eyes darkened, his jaw set on his argument.

"Well, it wasn't," he said in final. An awkward silence drifted between them as they both pretended to give a rat's ass about the movie. Troy caved after a minute. "So when's the talent show?"

"Tomorrow," he replied. "It's not as big of a deal though as it used to be. Even Sharpay's slightly out of it." In truth, it was more like _Ryan_ who was out of it. Although his role in the show was meant to have something to focus on besides – he wasn't going to think _his_ name – he was finding Troy's company more effective, putting him a little out of the groove. It almost didn't seem healthy though.

"Huh, that's weird. She's basically got our whole high school class helping her," Troy commented, his words a little bitter. "Why wasn't I invited?"

"Huh?" Ryan looked over at him questioningly.

"Everyone else was asked to be part of the 'Sharpay Show' except me," he restated. "Why didn't you include me?" Ryan shrugged.

"I guess I forgot about you," he said simply.

"You just 'forgot' about me?" He exclaimed. "How is that even possible?"

"Ego much?" Ryan commented before laughing. "It was a mistake, Troy. I'm sorry." He nodded, only believing it slightly. They were quiet for a while, although it wasn't the uncomfortable silence they felt before.

"I really like spending time with you," Troy stated. Ryan looked at him with a brow raised.

"That was a little random," he pointed out. Troy shrugged.

"I know," he admitted. "But it's the truth. It's nice to be around someone who I can talk to about anything. I could never be this way with Chad."

"I'm sure he'd be okay if he knew," Ryan insisted. Troy shook his head.

"It's not the same as being with you." He pulled himself a little closer to Ryan. "Its what…been a week since we started hanging out. And, honestly, I haven't felt this happy in a long time. Thank you." Ryan blinked, having noticed that Troy was now only inches away from his face. His breath hitched, and a gut instinct warned him that he was going to be kissed. Troy searched Ryan's face, determining if the proximity was permitted before leaning in to kiss him. He had almost brushed his lips with his when an annoying buzz could be heard.

Troy instantly turned his attention to the noise. Meanwhile, Ryan let out a low breath, his emotions swayed in all different directions. He wasn't sure if he was grateful for the distraction or loathing it.

Troy grabbed the object from the nightstand and brought it to his ear. Oh god, it was his phone. Ryan watched him apprehensively as Troy answered the call.

"Hello?" He asked. In the projected light from the television, Ryan could see Troy's eyebrows come together in confusion. He looked over at Ryan. "Ry, I think it's for you."

"Who is it," Ryan wondered, unsure if he would like the answer.

"Caller ID said it was Luca?" Troy replied before trying to hand him the phone. "He wants to talk to you." Ryan looked at the object like it was toxic. Troy only became more confused.

"Hang up," he said stiffly (and quietly in fear Luca could hear him). Troy didn't question him as he brought the receiver back to his ear.

"I'm sorry, he's unavailable," he said. There seemed to be a protest coming from the other end. "Well, there's nothing I can do about that. Can I take a message?" Ryan's heart dropped to his stomach. He had really been hoping he could avoid talking about Luca for the rest of the summer (since he already caved to Sharpay). Especially if it meant discussing it with Troy of all people. "Okay, I'll let him know," Troy assured him. "Bye."

He hung up and tossed the phone somewhere by his pillows. Ryan's jaw tightened as he waited for the inevitable question from Troy. However, Troy was scrutinizing his face, trying to find an explanation without having to voice his questions.

"Um…Luca just wanted to tell you he's sorry and that he wants to talk to you," Troy started. "That's all." Ryan nodded, trying to focus on the television again. Or anything, for that matter. Troy continued to look perplexed, unable to find a nice way to bring up the subject. Ultimately, he decided he wouldn't push it since it was painstakingly obvious that Ryan was in no mood to talk.

"I'm going to get some more popcorn, okay?" He stated after a while. "Do you want to come with me, Ry? It'll be fun messing with Fulton. Again." He chuckled warmly, trying to lighten the atmosphere. Ryan hinted a smile, but shook his head.

"Thanks, but I'll stay here," he insisted. Troy nodded politely before leaving the room. It seemed he and Ryan weren't precisely on a one to one basis yet. But perhaps he could change that.


	16. Hurting has a Reason Too

**A/N:** Long time no see, long story but nobody cares. Originally this was meant to be a filler chapter because I felt I needed to tie up this Talent Show business that really has no importance to the plot, but after rewriting it four times I got impatient and therefore pursued to follow the plot. Maybe in someone's mind's view, it's still early for the two to be somewhat hooking up, but I want to just write the good stuff now. Partly because I just want this story to be over because it's already finished in my head and I got better ideas for this couple in fics to come. So the goal is to finish this up in the next 10 chapters, but that's a really rough under guesstimate. So if it seems that the plot jumped a little from last chapter to this chapter, you know why.

Oh, and although I know most of you will ignore this, I'm warning you now: Last call on the appearance thing. Say now or forever hold your peace, I'm tired of waiting. Just like most of you are tired of waiting for me to add a new chapter. Last note, I might be updating here and there but that's mostly to fix annoying grammatical errors I found in the previous chapters, so don't have high hopes.

**C**_h_a**p**_t_e**r**_ S_i**x**_t_e**e**_n_: **H**_u_r**t**_i_n**g** _h_a**s** _a_ R**e**_a_s**o**_n _T**o**_o_

The Star Dazzle Talent show was nothing special. Troy remembered how important it meant to him and his friends to kick Sharpay out of her place and sing in the show. Although they made it sound like beating her wasn't their intention, he would be lying if he said that hadn't been an ulterior motive.

It seemed weird to be part of the audience, watching as his friends and Sharpay were now a united force in stealing the show. The show was nice, he decided, but it wasn't as big of a deal as it had seemed. He had, after all, only came to see Ryan.

Disappoint filled him a little to see that among his former classmates, Ryan wasn't among them. What ever happened to the boy who loved the stage? The one who competed with his sister subtly for the spotlight during their performance? He was nowhere in sight. Troy was starting to miss that Ryan, even though he could only recall that Ryan in his vague memories of high school. Something had obviously changed about him in the last few years. And instinct was telling him that it had something to do with this Luca person.

Troy snuck backstage after the winners were announced in search of Ryan. Chad, Taylor, and Jason were standing around talking, nodding at him as he passed by but continuing their conversation. Ryan wasn't far off from their group, and Troy found him hugging Sharpay in congratulations of winning the talent show. Kelsi stood by them too, although she was trying to catch Ryan's attention more than Sharpay's.

"Can you believe it, Ry?" She asked, jumping up and down in his arms. He laughed, his hat nearly falling off.

"I'm so happy for you, Shar," he agreed. She squealed excitedly before letting him go, running off to brag to her drones. Kelsi advanced towards Ryan to talk when Ryan noticed Troy. He instantly grinned at the sight of him.

"You came," he noted, sounding slightly surprised as he walked over to him, embracing him in a short hug before releasing him at the reminder that other people were around.

"Yeah, I thought I'd come to support you," Troy said. "I even brought you flowers." He showed him the bouquet of yellow flowers that he had hugged him with. Ryan smiled as he took the bouquet.

"Thank you," he said, memories flooding back to him of when Luca brought him flowers after he starred in one of the community theater shows. His smile saddened a little, but he managed to shove the thoughts aside. "What are these for?"

"I thought your choreography deserved a little praise," Troy reasoned. Ryan smiled.

"It was very sweet of you," he commented quietly.

"But you know, it was a little weird to see that _you_ weren't on stage," he pressed. "What happened?"

"I don't really perform anymore," Ryan stated nonchalantly. "I thought you knew that."

"And why not?"

"It's just not my strength," Ryan's façade slid a little then. Troy rolled his eyes as he followed him around backstage and out back into the resort area. They didn't really talk, for Troy was trying to figure out how he wanted to voice his questions about Ryan while Ryan was trying to help clean things up from the show.

"Ryan, tell me what happened at Julliard," he said bluntly, finding no other way to put it. Ryan froze, pausing in his actions before starting again slowly.

"What about Julliard?" He wondered, being cautious in his words as he picked up some discarded garments and bringing them back to Sharpay's costume room on wheels.

"Are you really asking me to spell it out for you?" Troy asked. "Ry, it's not rocket science to figure out something's wrong with you." Ryan turned to face him.

"What's wrong with me?" He demanded defensively.

"You act different," he stated.

"Like you could tell the difference," Ryan said sarcastically. "You just started hanging out with me like a week ago. You don't know anything."

"This is exactly what I'm talking about," he reasoned. "You're different."

"How?"

"You're so…harsh," Troy said, unable to grasp the right words to explain it. "I don't know, you're just not you. I mean, normally, you'd be up on that stage too, not just choreographing it. And…and…you're so…cautious about everything. I can barely come near you without you flinching away. I thought you were more open to things."

"Well, I'm sorry I'm human," Ryan said. "What do you want me to say to that, Troy? That I have my own problems too? Well, if that's what you want to hear, then yeah. I won't deny that. However, I don't feel obligated to tell _you_ about them. So just leave me alone, won't ya?" He shook his head, winding his way back through the props. Troy sighed before continuing to follow him.

"You can't just keep this stuff to yourself either," he insisted. "You can talk to me." There came no response from Ryan as he continued to pick up some of the props to bring them to the storage unit. Running out of luck, Troy decided to say something that could, at the very least, aggravate him. "It's Luca, isn't it?"

It worked.

"Leave him out of this," Ryan snapped. "You don't even know him, so shut up." Troy sighed, deciding to give up on the subject. He grabbed one of the props Ryan was carrying, trying to lighten the load. Mistaking his intention, Ryan turned and hit him over the head with a watering can.

**x** _x_ x **X** _x_ x** x**

"Is it still bleeding," Ryan wondered softly as he returned to the room. Troy readjusted the ice back on the edge of his forehead, sighing.

"I don't think so," he replied calmly, removing the pack to check for traces of blood. Finding none, he rested it back over the wound, wincing slightly at the pain. "You got me good." The edge of Ryan's lips turned upward, but instantly disappeared.

"I'm sorry," he said. It was about the hundredth time he had said that. Troy shook his head at the apology.

"It's all right," he assured him. "I just didn't know you could hit like that."

"Be thankful it wasn't a bat," Ryan said, pushing up a smile. Troy returned it despite the swollen lower part of his lip. The whole right side of his face (or left side if it was based on Ryan's view of him) had received quite a blow. A tin watering can wasn't the best thing to be hit with. The corners and angles of the object were nearly fatal. Troy was fortunate that it had just missed his eye.

"I didn't mean to offend you," he murmured. "With Luca and all."

"I got defensive," Ryan admitted. "And you were pissing me off. The paramedic said you'll be all right, but I still feel bad about it." Troy smiled.

"I got what I deserved," he said. Ryan smiled as he gently grabbed the wet towel and began patting around the area again.

"You know, Julliard's actually been pretty great," he admitted after a few dabs. "Besides some criticism here and there – specifically about my acting – it's been all right. And Luca – " he smiled sadly, "Luca was my boyfriend. He was everything I could ever ask for and more. Perfect. Unfortunately, perfection comes at a price. Long story short, he cheated on me and I haven't quite been the same. Which is why I'm here: trying to forget him." Ryan continued to dab at some of the dried blood. Troy watched him.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"Eh, it's nothing special," he replied, summoning another smile as he paused in his work.

"It must suck for him too," Troy commented. "Now he has to live the rest of his life without you." Ryan laughed, nodding in agreement.

"I guess," he said. "It's just been hard." Troy nodded.

"But you know what," he said quietly, although his tone was serious. He paused for a second before continuing, "you deserve much better than that dick." Ryan looked down, nodding in agreement even though he didn't feel too special. He still felt like crap for losing Luca.

Sensing his depression, Troy gently placed his hand under Ryan's jaw, guiding his face to his. Ryan didn't protest as Troy kissed him softly. In fact, he brought himself closer as their kiss lengthened. Troy was surprised to find Ryan deepen it as well. Reluctantly, it seemed, Ryan pulled away from him. Troy smiled.

"I really like you, Ryan," he said, his eyes searching his, inquiring Ryan's feelings for him. Ryan sighed, averting his gaze. Troy shook his head, realizing that nothing had changed. "Too early?"

"Yeah," Ryan whispered. "This is nice, Troy, but…I'm still in love with Luca."

"Even after what he did?"

"Yeah," he admitted. "I know it's pathetic, but I can't…" He was unable to finish his sentence.

"I know. But I hope we get to have something too," Troy said. "We don't have much time left you know. I got a month and a few weeks left before I have to pack up and return to Berkeley." Ryan nodded, thinking this over to himself.

"Now's just not the right time is all," he said. "I mean, before we even try anything like that, I have to get over Luca and you have to come out."

"Why do I have to come out?"

"Please," Ryan said, a small look of disgust appearing on his face. "I had a boyfriend once in high school who wasn't out, and I didn't like the whole sneaking-around-the-parents-and-denying-my-existence-around-people act. I'm not doing that again." Troy nodded.

"Do you even have feelings for me, Ry?" He wondered. Ryan looked down, fidgeting with something on his pants that was suddenly important.

"I think I'd be lying if I say no," he replied quietly. "Truth is I don't know. I liked it Troy, but…I don't know. Maybe it's just the adrenaline or hormones or reminiscing what I had with Luca."

"Don't compare me to him," Troy begged. "I'm nothing like him."

"I know," Ryan said. "I just need time to sort things out."

"So what if we help each other out then," Troy proposed. "I help you to get over Luca and you –" he sighed in defeat, "help me to come out." Ryan smiled.

"I would like that very much," he replied. His attention returned to Troy's injury. "I hope you're up to it though." Troy readjusted his ice pack.

"The only thing I'm worried about is my parents' reaction to this shiner," he said, chuckling a little as he removed the ice pack to show off the wound. Ryan winced at the red and now purpling marks that imprinted over his right eye and trailed down the side of his face and touched the swollen lower lip.

"If it needs to get checked out, I'll pay for the medical stuff," Ryan offered. "I know the paramedic said it was okay, but that is one ugly mark."

"It's fine," he insisted. "Don't you worry. The only thing I'm caring about right now is that my hand is freezing from this ice pack and that I might not be able to kiss you again for a while." Ryan felt his cheeks redden, much to Troy's amusement.

"Well," Ryan said. "Technically, kissing is a physical trait. I mean, it doesn't mean much to a relationship besides showing intimacy and a slight thrill. But any suckers can kiss and it won't mean a thing."

"What's your point?"

"So if that's true, I could kiss you and it wouldn't mean anything," Ryan said. Troy smiled, putting down the ice pack to bring him close and kiss him again. Like before, Ryan made no move to stop him, and the kiss lasted slightly longer than their last.

Upon parting from their kiss, Troy commented, "It still meant something to me."


	17. Wii is not Your Reality

**A/N:** Well, here's one more for you guys although this chapter really has no point to the plot. Therefore: FILLER! hahaha, well that was fun. Anyway, although it's a little sketchy here at the beginning, I think it's a lot brighter than the norm. Not as much drama. You know, It wouldn't be that hard to turn this chapter into a one-shot, but what ev. That's just me. More to come, so stay tuned. Thanks for reading guys!

**C**_h_a**p**_t_e**r** _S_e**v**_e_n**t**_e_e**n**_: _W**i**_i_ i**s** _n_o**t** _Y_o**u**_r_ R**e**_a_l**i**_t_y

An unspoken bond stood between them since that night. They were…closer. That was the only term that could be used to describe what was going on between them. It wasn't necessarily a friendship, yet they didn't declare it as a relationship. It was sort of in a limbo state between the two.

Over the course of another week, Troy wasn't sure who had the more difficult job. He and Ryan were both being stubborn in helping each other out. Ryan was refusing to talk about Luca (which was Troy's approach to solving that issue), and Troy was refusing to cooperate with any method in which Ryan proposed. At the end of the day, their tempers were on edge.

"All right, that's it," Troy decided one night when they were at odds. "Ryan, get up."

"Why?"

"We're going out," he said. "You ever gone bowling? We can do that."

"Bowling," Ryan questioned, the only association he had with the sport being with the Wii gaming system.

"Yeah, it's fun stuff," Troy insisted. "Come on, get off your butt." He headed towards the door. Ryan remained frozen for a moment, before comprehending the reality of it.

"Oh, you were serious," he realized before hesitantly following him as well.

**x **_x_ x **X** _x_ x **x**

"This is your idea of something fun?" Ryan asked skeptically as he took in the sights of the musty bowling alley. The place looked like it had just barely been kept in business for years: grime covering the wall, tainted lanes, and countless pictures of the glory days displayed on the walls. The only perk in Ryan's eyes was that the place had air conditioning that kept away the outside heat.

Troy turned around, a grin sprawled across his face.

"I'm sorry there's no one waiting on your hand and foot, Princess," he mocked. "But bowling's fun. My dad and I used to go all the time." Ryan's eyebrows came together as he continued to look around the place, the filth disgusting him.

"Well, the only kind of bowling I've ever done has been Wii," Ryan commented before adding to himself, "Although we might have a bowling alley at the house."

"It's always good to try something new," he insisted. "You might find you like it." He then slipped out of his shoes while Ryan watched cautiously.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, we've got to pay and get our shoes of course," Troy said, as if it were so blatantly obvious. Ryan nodded half-heartedly, pretending that made any sense.

"Won't somebody steal our shoes?" He wondered, glancing down at his polished Prada. Troy shook his head, but whether it was to answer his question or out of disbelief, Ryan wasn't sure.

"Just c'mon," he urged as he approached the counter, although Ryan swore he muttered something along the lines of "and to believe you went to a public school" before purchasing their game and getting his bowling shoes. Ryan watched him with disgust. He had to wear some _other person's _shoes. This was way outside his comfort zone. He had to tell Sharpay about this one.

Ryan was quick to follow suit, and soon they were headed towards the lanes.

"So is this anything like Wii bowling," he wondered. Troy chuckled to himself.

"No, not really."

"Oh," Ryan said, although it more so reflected how little he knew about the sport. Well, it was a sport, wasn't it? Suddenly, Ryan wasn't sure.

"I take it you'll do better with a light weight ball," Troy questioned, heading towards the rack filled with rows of bowling balls. Ryan shrugged, not even sure what that meant.

"I guess," he said. Troy nodded as he scanned him over.

"Yup, definitely a light weight," he reasoned.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ryan wondered defensively.

"Just take the ball," Troy said, handing him one of the ones he picked out. Ryan took it and nearly dropped it in the same moment. It was much heavier than he had anticipated. Troy scoffed trying to hide his laugh. Ryan glowered.

"Do you want me to go first," Troy wondered as he selected his own bowling ball. Ryan wasn't sure if he was just stubborn on not making a fool of himself or if he had some underlying competitive edge to him, but he pointedly declined Troy's request. He was going to start this off, even if he had no idea what he was doing.

"All righty then," Troy said before sitting down on one of the plastic chairs, engrossed in the fact that Ryan would humiliate himself in an effort to prove he wasn't as ignorant as Troy believed him to be. "Have fun."

"Shut up," but he was smiling as he turned away, staring down his rival pins. He lifted the ball closer to his chest, making sure he had his fingers in the three holes. Simple, right? Just like the Wii. Taking a few steps towards it, he wound his arm back, and staggered slightly at the ball's weight. Mentally, he admitted that Troy was right about getting a light weight ball. He wouldn't last if it were any heavier. Pulling the ball back forward, he let it go.

The ball hit the lane hard, and then continued to progress slowly down the lane into the gutter. Troy laughed. Ryan adjusted his newsboy cap before crossing his arms over his chest, defeated.

"You win," he allowed before returning to his seat. Troy chuckled a little more before saying:

"You still get a second try," he then gestured to the monitor displaying the scoreboard. Ryan looked up.

"Damn," he muttered.

"Hey," Troy tried reasoning. "It's not so terrible. "C'mon, give it a shot. Maybe you need a lighter ball or, if you want, I could walk you through it."

"That'll just look silly."

"Too bad," he replied as he stood up and joined him by the lane. Once the ball returned, he picked it up to demonstrate.

"Make sure you hold this right, okay," he instructed, showing him before handing him the ball. Ryan did so and mimicked the position. "Hold it to you; stand right here. Now take three steps forward. Stop! You can't let it go yet." Ryan had nearly dropped it down the lane.

"I'm so failing at this," he muttered angrily.

"Well, you're going to be a wizard once I get through with you," he insisted. Ryan laughed bitterly.

"Yeah right."

"Hey, if you can at least get a spare, I'll pay for dinner, okay," he offered. Ryan watched him to see if it was a bluff.

"Very tempting," he admitted.

"I know right, so c'mon," he then focused back to the matter at hand. "All right, at this point, you want to draw the ball back. Make sure you keep your hips facing forward; otherwise the ball will end up going that direction. And then on this last step, just let it roll." Ryan nodded as he backed up, ready to test this method. He then followed through the steps and released the ball. It went down the lane much more smoothly than the first, hitting the two pins on the edge.

"Oh my god! I did it!" He exclaimed, turning to Troy and wrapping his arms around him in a hug. Recognizing the action, he ripped away, his face displaying his apologies. "Sorry." But the brunette was glowing with glee too.

"Don't worry about it," he reasoned. "And for a first timer, I'm just glad you hit any of the pins at all." He then laughed.

"Ouch," Ryan said. "Well, I guess it's your turn now. Let's see how _you_ do."

"I'm pretty good at sports," he said. "It's a piece of cake. And like I said, my dad used to take me bowling all the time." He then got in position before releasing the ball. It rolled and hit the last four pins on the right side.

"Yes, you're such a god at sports," Ryan said sarcastically, applauding him smugly. "You did about as bad as me." Troy blushed.

"I guess it's been a while since I've done this," he admitted.

"Really, you and Gabriella never spent any time over here? Or maybe you were too busy groping in the back," he snickered, pointing behind him. Troy's jaw tightened, looking offended by the statement.

"It was never like that," he said sternly before taking his second turn.

**x **_x_ x **X** _x_ x **x**

"You know, this isn't much of a dinner," Ryan criticized as he picked up one of the fries that was dripping with grease. "I could've taken us somewhere much nicer."

"Yeah, but I made a deal, so I should at least keep up my half," Troy insisted. "Besides, I didn't think you could make a spare." Ryan smiled, enlightened by the reminder of his triumph. As it turned out, neither one of them was any good at the sport. In fact, they nearly jumped for joy when either one of them knocked over five pins or more. Therefore, when Ryan shocked them all (including himself) when he made the spare, they nearly had a parade.

They were still at the bowling alley, although they had finished their game and handed back their shoes. Troy had kept his promise and they had ordered a greasy meal of pizza and fries along with some sugary drinks. Ryan was partly mortified by the food items in front of him, but he had decided that if could endure the school lunches at East High, he could withstand this garbage too.

"You should've followed your own advice," Ryan said tauntingly. "It was slightly helpful after all." Troy shook his head, smiling.

"Shut up."

"We did look kind of gay out there though," he commented, thinking of some of the behaviors they displayed through out the game and the eerie glances some of the people gave them from the other lanes.

"So?" Troy asked, sipping his soda. "We _are _gay."

"And you're okay with that…?" Ryan wondered casually, although there was a mischievous gleam to his eye.

"Well," Troy began, but stopped, realizing where this conversation was heading. "It's a big city, Ry, no one knows us here."

"So if Chad, per se, was here, you would have acted differently?" Troy avoided his gaze and refused to respond. "Very interesting," he commented to himself. "It's progress."

"Look, I didn't suggest to go bowling to talk about this crap," he insisted. "In fact, I suggested it to avoid it. We just need a break from all this."

"All this?"

"Luca; coming out; we're so stressed out trying to fix each other we barely have any room for fun," Troy reasoned.

"Fun," Ryan repeated, thinking it over. "I guess I see your point."

"Yeah, we should go out more and do stuff like this," he said, gesturing to the bowling alley. He then jabbed, "take you out of your comfort zone a bit."

_The simple things_, Ryan added to himself, and smiled at the thought, although it was bittersweet as the thought was tainted with Luca.

"That sounds fun," he agreed.

"That's the point of it," Troy said. Ryan's smile widened. "There's probably a bunch of stuff that we could do that you've probably never done before. Stuff that you rich people don't appreciate as much."

"You're really starting to get offensive," he joked. Troy shrugged.

"It's true," he commented. "You rich people don't take much time to enjoy the simpler things of life. Therefore Ryan, you should get the whole 'commoner' experience." Troy was starting to become fond of this idea while Ryan remained in awe. In his own way, Troy was starting to grasp the concepts that had kept him so close to Luca.


	18. Hormonally Imbalanced

**A/N:** hey, guys. So I'm not really sure how this is going to play out, since it seems I sort of put this story in a knot. One moment they're sorta together, next they're sort of not. The point is there seems to be no smooth way to ease into their relationship. And that's my fault, I didn't think this all the way through (when I brainstorm stories, I know the beginning and end but never know how to transition in between). So if it seems random how I write this out in the next chapter, you're not the only one. This chapter, however, seemed impossible to write. I probably rewrote it over ten times, the other ones all being deleted once I read through it. So, yeah, this chapter has gone from taking place in Ryan's room to a confrontation with Troy and his dad to an intense make out scene (which was okay but seemed unfitting) to the product of which you're going to read. Nonetheless, I appreciate your never ending patience and hope you enjoy!

**C**_h_a**p**_t_e**r** _E_i**g**_h_t**e**_e_n**:** _H_o**r**_m_o**n**_a_l**l**_y_ I**m**_b_a**l**_a_n**c**_e_d

Ryan decided that he would never understand Troy. They were in the recreational room at Lava Springs, Troy shooting hoops like a mad man and missing every single one of them. Ryan sat quietly on the far wall, doodling in a notebook as he watched him cautiously. Any moment now Troy looked like he was going to explode. And Ryan's defense was to be as far away from him as possible.

"I thought you were good at basketball," he commented warily, watching to see what his reaction would be.

"I am," Troy snapped. Ryan shrugged and averted his eyes to the paper in front of him. He was sketching hats along with the comedy and tragedy icons as well as all sorts of random stuff. He wasn't astoundingly good, but the collage of items made his sketches look better than they would be individually.

"Aren't you going to ask what's wrong?" Troy asked after two more unsuccessful shots.

"No," Ryan replied. "But I'll let you tell me if you want to talk about it." Troy let the ball rest under his arm before speaking:

"It's my dad."

Ryan's eyes lifted in cautious enthusiasm. "You told him?"

"God no!" Troy exclaimed, a trace of a smile coming to his face. It then disappeared as he became more serious again. It took him a few moments to reveal what was actually going on. "He thinks I shouldn't hang out with you so much." He then looked away, bouncing the ball a few times before deciding to take a shot. He missed again.

Ryan was quiet.

"I kind of agree with him," he admitted. Troy wheeled around.

"What?" He asked, his voice raised loud enough that the elderly couple playing ping pong looked up and over at him.

"We do hang out a lot," Ryan allowed. "Maybe you should hang out with Chad more or something." Troy shook his head.

"I can't believe it," he said through his teeth. "First my dad, now you too."

"Well, I'm sorry Troy, but it's the truth," he replied, returning to the notebook sketches. At this point, he had no more ideas of what to draw so he decided to just add more circles in random areas. It looked fitting as he decided to distinguish them as bubbles.

"So, what are you saying," he asked. "That we shouldn't hang out anymore?"

Ryan sighed. "You're such a drama queen," he remarked. "And I'm not saying we shouldn't hang out, I'm saying we should hang out less. Find a balance between the rest of your life and me."

"Then how am I supposed to help you forget Luca if I'm gone most of the time?" He demanded.

Ryan smiled. "Trust me, you're already doing a fine job with that."

"I am?"

He nodded but didn't look up from the drawing. Troy tried shooting again. It hit the rim and fell off towards Ryan. Ryan stopped it with his foot when it rolled over to him. Troy followed it and sat down next to him.

"You're seriously starting to forget Luca," he wondered quietly. Ryan looked over at him.

"You really can't forget someone," he stated. "But you can get over them. It takes a while, but it does happen."

"So, you're over Luca?" Troy looked hopeful.

"Not completely," he admitted. "But I'm getting there."

"I think finding someone new might help," Troy said. Ryan laughed.

"You're not going to give up are you," he wondered.

"I'm very persistent," Troy told him. "And eventually, you won't be able to resist." He then smiled smugly.

"Re-_ally_?" Ryan asked skeptically, smiling jokingly. Troy nodded before kissing his cheek. Ryan's cheeks turned pink in the process. An invisible agreement between them didn't mind such flirtatious motions. They didn't officially acknowledge their relationship, but it was becoming pretty obvious to them both that they were starting to act like a couple. But it seemed that as long as they didn't acknowledge each other that way, the relationship didn't exist. In the meantime, Troy was fighting for it to be official.

"You act like it's so hard to resist you," Ryan then commented. Troy put a hand over his heart, feigning offense.

"Ouch," he said. "That just took a toll on my self esteem."

"It's about time," Ryan said, laughing. Troy shook his head before pulling Ryan's face to his and kissing him again. Ryan kissed him back a moment before pulling away, his eyes sparked with amusement.

"Troy, we're in public," he reminded him, slightly indicating to the elderly couple playing ping pong.

"They don't know us," he insisted, kissing him again. "Let them watch."

"Okay, this is definitely good," Ryan commented. "You're getting there, Troy. If you're not embarrassed to reveal your sexuality in public, I don't think it will be long before you're able to reveal your sexuality to your friends and family." Troy's smile faded.

"Why do we have to talk about this," he asked. "You're ruining it Ryan."

"Because if you think we'll ever have a decent relationship, you're going to have to come out," he said pointedly. Troy huffed angrily, sitting back against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. Ryan found himself laughing at the expression.

"What?"

"You look funny when you're mad," he said, laughing again. Troy tried keeping his expression but found himself smiling again.

"And you wonder why I'm falling for you," he said, shaking his head. "You're so fun to be with. Luca is going to forever regret letting you go. And I don't feel sorry for him in the least." Ryan's face saddened a little.

"Yeah maybe," he replied. Troy noticed the damper in his voice and placed his hand over his.

"It's going to be okay, Ry," he said. "You deserve much better than him." He then kissed his cheek. "You deserve someone who loves you." Ryan turned to face him and kissed him gently on the lips as a way of saying thanks. Troy returned the kiss before Ryan pulled away again.

"You deserve someone who loves you too."


	19. Burning Bridges

**A/N:** Too quick? Sketchy? I'm not sure. Honestly, I thought it got better when their high school selves were brought up, but perhaps that's just me. It was supposed to be longer, but I decided the events of the end should have their own chapter. =) It's the beginning of the end guys! Well, not precisely, but we're getting there.

**C**_h_a**p**_t_e**r** _N_i**n**_e_t**e**_e_n**:** _B_u**r**_n_i**n**_g_ B**r**_i_d**g**_e_s

Troy's newest idea to eliminate Luca from Ryan's life was to get rid of everything. Ryan had been impartial to this plan when it was first proposed, but it soon became fun. Anything Luca ever touched or reminded Ryan of him was thrown into a giant bag that was going to be chucked into a bonfire they were going to create that night.

When Ryan had informed Mr. Fulton of the bonfire, he had given that look he normally gave Sharpay whenever she proposed something outrageous: the nervous agreement. Ryan couldn't help but have a little fun with it as well, for he and Troy were also going around the resort and chucking random things into the garbage bag as well. They'd always make an excuse of how it reminded them of Luca in some odd way (although how a pool floaty resembled Luca was beyond Ryan's imagination).

The one thing Ryan hid from this massacre of all things Luca was his phone. He couldn't even explain to himself why he refused to throw it away, but he just couldn't. He had told himself it was because he had to keep the rest of his contacts on there, but he knew that wasn't true. It was now the only thing that would keep him tied to Luca.

Sharpay seemed supportive of the idea as well, although she couldn't figure out why Troy was helping him. She knew her brother and the basketball jock were becoming awfully close, but she thought that eventually they would cross a line. She watched them for a while (and by them, it was more like Troy), but eventually got bored and decided to tan.

"Have fun getting skin cancer!" Ryan called after her when she left, smiling in the process. She stuck her tongue out playfully at him.

"You're just jealous that you can't tan," she called back. When she left, Ryan said sadly:

"It's true." Troy had laughed before kissing his forehead and continuing to search the room for things that might be reminders of Luca.

By the afternoon, they were outside the resort looking for the random stuff to toss into their bag of things. They were towards the edge of the resort, where no one was really wandering about (most of the resort visitors spent their time at the pool). A few palm trees stood here and there and they were running out of things to throw into their bag. They talked about nearly everything, from why the moon was or was not made out of cheese to some of their childhood experiences to how they felt about each other.

"Are you seriously going to wait until I come out," Troy grumbled, not liking this compromise they made. Sure, they were starting to get halfway there with the whole Luca situation, but for the most part, Troy's situation had remained untouched.

"I told you I wasn't going to be the closeted boyfriend," Ryan insisted.

"You wouldn't be closeted," he insisted. "Besides, isn't that sort of what we have now?"

"We have something?" Ryan wondered.

"Well, you don't exactly flinch when I kiss you anymore," he pointed out. Ryan shrugged.

"What can I say, you're a good kisser," he admitted. "Not to mention you forget that I'm gay. Naturally, I'm a giant flirt. You should've seen me in New York before Luca and I started dating. I was flirting with every guy there, even the straight ones." Troy wrinkled his nose a little.

"You're definitely not the same Ryan I knew in high school," he remarked.

"Of course not," Ryan stated. "High school was hell. I couldn't speak too loudly in fear I would be bullied for it." Troy paused in his tracks.

"Really?"

"Yes Troy, unlike you, high school wasn't my kingdom," he said. "Don't get me wrong, it got better when Gabriella came – well, sort of – but high school's high school. I didn't exactly fit in."

"Why didn't you say anything," Troy inquired, making Ryan look him in the eyes. "If you would've talked to me, I could've helped you out."

"You were Troy Bolton. _The_ Troy Bolton. I couldn't exactly talk to you," Ryan said, his words forceful in throwing Troy off. He had forgotten how completely opposite their worlds had been. Troy had been a king in high school, his goals aimed for success in basketball. Ryan had been the theater queer who was a minority in school but was more socially connected than Troy would ever know.

"Well, it's not that way anymore," he insisted.

"You got that right."

"Now I just wish you would be my boyfriend," Troy said, bringing it back to that topic. Ryan rolled his eyes.

"Do you think we'd have a healthy relationship," he wondered. "Because that's what I'm waiting for."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't want our relationship to be based on this stuff. I don't want to use you as my fallback guy and I don't want to be your secret lover. That's why I don't think we should start this now," Ryan reasoned. "I care about you, Troy. And if we want to be in this relationship, we have to do this right, you know? Because I don't want to screw this up." Troy nodded.

"It's a good argument," he allowed. "I can't really fight that. But I think that we can overcome these things better if we know we have each other."

"You already have me," Ryan insisted. "Friends can accomplish that."

"Thanks for shooting my argument out of the sky," Troy said, shaking his head. "I didn't realize you were this stubborn." Ryan smiled.

"Do you really think we can pull it off?" He asked. "That we can get through all of this without sinking our relationship in the process?" Troy thought about it a moment before nodding.

"All righty then," Ryan agreed. "Then let's do this." It took a moment for it to sink in.

"You're serious," Troy asked. Ryan turned to continue walking.

"Yep," he said. "Unless, of course, you changed your mind." Troy dropped their bag of stuff and wrapped his arms around Ryan, pulling him close in a hug.

"I hope this means as much to you as it does to me," he said before he kissed him softly on the lips. Ryan gently kissed him back.

"If it doesn't now, it will," he promised. Troy's grip tightened as he pulled him closer. Ryan smiled and then hugged him back.

"So this means we can make out now?" He asked. Ryan laughed.

"I thought we were already doing that," he said.

"You kidding me? Those were just pecks," he argued, smiling. Ryan reflected the smile before kissing him again. Troy gently guided his jaw with his hand, keeping him close. They continued to kiss, Ryan beginning to feel light-headed from the lack of oxygen, but he didn't want to part from him so soon. For each time he kissed him, Ryan felt himself become closer to Troy. It had seemed like a bad thing at first, but now he cherished in the emotion.

"Troy?" The voice came from behind him. Troy froze, pulling away from Ryan in a horror that shot down the emotions he was feeling before. For it was over his shoulder that Ryan could see the confused expression spread over the familiar face of Chad.


	20. And then there was Chad

**A/N:** So this whole coming out to Chad sort of flopped on its face. No lie. I think it was because it's taken nearly four hours to write it, so the scene seemed ten times longer than it actually was, so the mood felt more dramatic than it actually was. And then I read through it, and I basically leap frogged their emotions. Frustrations of a tired author I'm telling you. Not to mention I wrote half of that scene, but then my computer shut down and I couldn't find it so I rewrote it only to find it again when I finished. So now because I'm tired and have homework to attend to, I just stuck to the rewritten stuff. Although there was a little bit of bashing from Chad in the original. So yeah, your never ending patience is highly appreciated.

**C**_h_a**p**_t_e**r** _T_w**e**_n_t**y**_:_ A**n**_d_ t**h**_e_n **t**_h_e**r**_e_ w**a**_s_ C**h**_a_d

A discomforting silence settled over the three. Chad seemed to still be processing what he saw, Troy looked like a nervous wreck, and Ryan waited in horror to witness the outcome. How had he convinced himself that being with Troy was a good idea? Especially when something like this happened.

Chad looked at the ground a moment before glancing back at Troy awkwardly.

"Can we talk, dude?" He asked. His gaze then shifted to Ryan. "Alone." Troy turned to Ryan, letting all his worried thoughts be explained through his expression. It reminded Ryan of a time earlier in the week where Troy truly explained why he was afraid of coming out. The real reason why he was afraid was because he was worried he was going to loose those relationships. That his parents and friends might reject him so far as to quit being his friend and guardian. Through his unsteady breathing, using all of his will not to crumble, Troy had murmured, "I can't lose them, Ry." Those five words were forever imprinted into his memory. And it was in that moment that he had come to understand Troy's struggle.

Now, Ryan just prayed to God that things would work out well.

**x **_x_ x **X** _x _x **x**

They had reached the outdoor basketball court, yet neither boy decided to speak. Troy stood a few feet behind Chad, watching him anxiously. The silence only contributed to his anxiety and stress. He had already counted through a number of excuses he could use to cover up, but ultimately decided that he couldn't lie to his friend. So, somehow someway, he was going to come out. He just hoped that Chad would be okay with that.

Chad paused in the center of the court before turning to face him.

"Is there something you want to tell me?" He asked, his voice stern and his face pensive. Troy looked down. This was it, wasn't it?

"Chad, I meant to tell you," he started. "I just didn't know how you were going to react and…" he faltered, unsure how he was going to explain this.

"So you're…" Chad drifted off, unable to bring himself to say 'gay'. Troy nodded when he realized he wasn't going to finish his sentence. Another silence came between them.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Chad then asked. When Troy looked up, he saw that his expression had changed to disappointment and hurt.

"I told you, I wasn't sure how you were going to react," he said. Chad shook his head.

"How can you think that?" He demanded. "We've been friends since preschool, does that mean anything to you? We _don't_ keep secrets from each other, especially one like this."

"Can't you see it from my point of view?" Troy asked. "In case you don't remember, you freaked out when I wanted to be in theater. I wasn't sure if you'd be with me this time."

"That was a long time ago," Chad insisted. "I thought we were over that. I made a mistake, Troy, but I've always stood by you no matter what."

"Even this?"

"Yes," Chad said, and then paused a moment, realizing what he was saying. A few moments passed before he continued. "I'm not mad that you're…" he gestured to him, but still couldn't manage to say it. "Don't get me wrong, it's a little weird. But you're still my friend…just don't give me details and we'll be good. Trust me, what I saw today was more than enough." Troy broke out into a small smile, and at the lighter mood, Chad mirrored it.

"Deal," he agreed. Chad extended his fist. Troy smiled and formed a fist of his own before bumping it against his. Troy's smile lengthened as he felt significantly lighter. He didn't think he could feel it to this extent, but he definitely felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Just like Ryan had told him.

"So you and Ryan, huh?" Chad asked, his tone containing a hint of mockery. Troy felt himself blush.

"Yeah," he said, pawing the ground with his foot. "I really like him."

"So, that was what the whole break up was about," he asked, his bushy brows furrowing. "You and Gabriella?"

"Yeah," Troy admitted. "And the whole questioning of your sexuality."

"Ah," he commented, the light finally dawning on him of what that conversation had been about.

"Yeah, so what are you doing here?" Troy asked.

"Well, I came here looking for you. Honestly, I was surprised that Coach said you'd be hanging around here, but I guess I know why now," Chad explained.

"So what's up?"

"Well, I have some news," he said, his face brightening.

"Okay." Troy watched as his best friend's face became more enthusiastic.

"Taylor and I are engaged," he announced happily. "I did it man. I proposed! Can you believe it? Chad is now a domesticated man." He made a face. "Eh, it still doesn't sound right." Troy laughed.

"That's great," he said. "I didn't realize you guys were getting that serious. I mean, I heard that you were planning to propose, but wow, you did it."

"Yup, and guess who's my best man," he said, nudging him in the shoulder.

"Hmm, I don't know," Troy remarked sarcastically. Chad laughed.

"Don't worry though, we're not getting married for a while," he added. "Taylor said yes on the condition that we'll wait until we've finished college and at least one of us finds a stable job. That, and we have to go to this counseling shit class that's supposed to help you decide if getting married is the best choice." He shook his head.

"You don't look too happy with that," he commented.

"I'm not," he said. "But I think she's worth it. I'd rather go through that class a hundred times over than miss my chance to be with her." Troy nodded.

"Well, I'm happy for you dude," he said. Chad nodded.

"Thanks," he replied. "I wish you and Ryan the best as well." Troy smiled, thankful for his friend's support.

"That means a lot to me," he told him. He shrugged as they continued to walk together across the court.

"Like I said, we're friends," he reasoned. "Just because I find your relationship with Ryan weird doesn't mean I should discourage it. If you're happy, then I'm happy for you." Troy nodded, relieved to still have his best friend. Maybe coming out wasn't such a nightmare after all.

**x **_x_ x **X** _x_ x **x**

The sun was still trying to hold onto the remnants of the sky when they started their bonfire. Ryan almost felt like they were at camp and should be singing Kumbaya if it weren't for the fact that the fake rock formations of New Mexico were planted around them. Troy started the flames in a small fire pit before reaching into their bag of stuff to toss in there.

"So Chad's totally cool with you being gay?" Ryan asked. Troy nodded.

"It felt good, Ry," he announced. Realizing that Ryan might not understand what he was referring to, he added, "coming out." He nodded.

"This is a big step for you, Troy," he commented.

"Yeah," Troy said, seeming encouraged by this step. "I should tell the rest of my friends. That is, if Chad doesn't get to them first." He shook his head, smiling at the thought of Chad. He reached into the bag, grabbing the pool floaty they had stolen from the pool. He was ready to chuck it into the fire as well when Ryan stopped him.

"We could save the world a little less toxic gas," he remarked. Troy shrugged.

"Like the rest of the stuff we're burning is any less harmful," he replied and chucked the floaty in there as well. Ryan watched as it swelled and melted. Troy reached into the bag and tossed the photos they found. Ryan looked down as his adventure in England burned away. He hadn't objected to the idea; in fact he'd had a little fun with it. But now that he was watching it be burned away forever, it was starting to hurt. His eyes began to water as Troy tossed more and more things into the pit.

"You okay?" He asked a few minutes later, noticing the tears falling from his eyes.

"Yeah," Ryan insisted, wiping them away. "It's just the smoke." He wiped his cheeks and sniffed before moving further away from the pit.

They were both quiet as the stuff in the bag began to diminish. The mood was supposed to be more joyful, but both of them were in too deep of thought to try and make that effort.

Troy stood up from his spot when there were no more objects to be thrown. He came closer to where Ryan stood, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. Ryan looked up at him.

"I guess it's goodbye Luca, huh?" He asked. Troy nodded, his eyes focused on the flame. Ryan leaned into him gently as they watched the charred objects get reduced to soot.

"Oh," Troy said, seeming to be reminded of something. "There's one more thing." He parted from Ryan's embrace and removed an object from his pocket and chucked it into the midst of the fire. Ryan's breath caught as he watched his phone begin to melt.


	21. Fairytales don't have Two Queens

**A/N:** Perhaps it's just my personal opinion, but I feel like Sharpay's role in Ryan's life is quite significant in it's own way. Although it was portrayed through out the movies of Ryan becoming more and more independent, the bond can never fully broken, right? Therefore, Sharpay has a role to play in the limited amount of time and chapters we have left. Side note: Is it fairytale, fairy-tale, or fairy tale? To me, fairytale looks right but it's showing up as being spelled incorrecting. Fairy tale doesn't sit right with me so I compromised with fairy-tale. This is going to bug me...

**C**_h_a**p**_t_e**r** _T_w**e**_n_t**y**_-_O**n**_e_: **F**_a_i**r**_y_-t**a**_l_e**s** _d_o**n**_'_t **h**_a_v**e **_T_w**o** _Q_u**e**_e_n**s**

"So where are the drones," Ryan asked as he came in with more popcorn. Sharpay scooped a handful out of the bowl and put it on the comforter, continuing to flip through her newest edition of _Vogue_.

"Ugh, don't even remind me," she sneered. "Emma's dad had some conference something or another for their company, so she decided to join him because she thinks it's _important_." She rolled her eyes, flipping the page.

Ryan patted the bed, cueing Boi to bounce up and sit in his lap. Ryan petted the dog before returning to his sister.

"Shar, Emma's dad's company is going bankrupt due to the economy," Ryan explained.

"What's wrong with the economy?" She asked, and Ryan wouldn't put it past her not to know.

"The point is," he continued. "Another company is interested in buying them out of debt. It's risky, but manageable. The only thing you're going to notice though is that she'll switch from shopping at Barneys to Wal-Mart." Sharpay made a face.

"What's that?" She asked.

"Exactly," Ryan said.

"Speaking of Barneys," she said, a devious smile spreading across her face. "You and I should go back-to-school clothes shopping. Not to mention there'll be loads of eye candy everywhere. I know our Spanish lifeguards here are hot, but I'm sure we could find even hotter men."

"Hot being the equivalent of dark skinned and dark haired, right?" He asked. Sharpay thought about it and nodded.

"Sorry Ry, you ruin blonde for me," she said, then smiled and slipped a piece of popcorn into her mouth. He returned her smile.

"Sorry, I think I'll pass," he told her. Her face came together in a puzzled expression.

"Why?" She chirped.

"I kind of found someone," he explained. Sharpay sat quiet for a moment, registering what this meant.

"You didn't get back together with Luca, did you?" She asked.

"Hell no," he replied. She continued to stay in thought.

"Do you like him?" She wondered.

He blushed. "I kind of do."

"I can see that," she reasoned. "You just went from ivory to crimson." This only caused more blood to rush to his cheeks. She shook his head.

"So, have you kissed him yet?" She wondered.

"Yes," he admitted. "I think I would kiss him all day if I could, but I'm trying to take it slow." He watched as her expression became skeptical. "-er." He added. She nodded before drifting back to her magazine. It wasn't that her brother's dating life didn't excite her, but he was her brother. She didn't care to know too much about it.

"Yeah," he continued. "Shar, it – it's Troy."

"What?" She asked, looking over at him again. Her voice held a new edginess to it. Ryan met her glance, unsure what set his twin off.

"I'm dating Troy," he repeated. She slapped down her magazine.

"Ryan!" She exclaimed, putting a small whine into her voice. "How could you do this to me?" His brows furrowed together.

"Do what?"

"You _know _I like him," she insisted, getting off of his bed, her voice rising to make up for the distance (although her standing up just made her more intimidating). "I've liked him since middle school. Hell, I even called dibs on him, remember? I thought you of all people would be more considerate. Damn it Ryan, how could you do this!" She stomped the ground to prove her point, but her face remained an expression of hurt. Ryan moved towards her.

"I thought you'd be happy for me," he said, his voice significantly softer to her rant, although hurt touched his tone as well.

"But I called him, Ryan," she emphasized, her lower lip extended in a pout.

"Why is it always about you," he asked. "Can't I have something too? You _always_ get everything you want. Always. I get nothing. Absolutely nothing. So why can't I have this, just this once?"

"You got Julliard," she said pointedly.

"It doesn't mean anything when I come here," he commented.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked, and this time he knew he truly offended her. But he couldn't back down, not this time.

"It's always about you. There's no 'us', there's no 'we', it's just you. I'm just your shadow, but you've been too obsessed with yourself to notice. At Julliard, I can be me. Just me. Not the kid who's followed you around your entire life or the one who struggled his entire life being invisible – me. But when I come back, I'm just your brother again. Well, I'm not one of your minions, Shar!" He then stood up, feeling for once the same height as her. The air around her, however, had changed. She was no longer Miss Confident, but instead a girl who struggled to keep it together. Ryan was almost sure she was going to cry, but instead she turned away and walked out the door, her head still held high. He watched her go, unsure if he felt guilty for telling her off or proud that he finally did.

**x **_x_ x **X** _x_ x **x**

Troy held no sympathy for Sharpay. When Ryan relayed the events of the previous night, he had been hoping Troy would encourage him to reconcile with her. Although it had felt good to release his frustrations of the years he spent subservient to her, he was now filled with so much guilt. He knew he often felt frustrated with her but she was still his twin. His other half. He still cared for her, much like she did for him in her discreet ways.

"She's kind of a bitch anyway, Ry," he pointed out. Ryan's face saddened, not too content with this answer.

"She's my sister, Troy," he reminded him before gently leaning into his shoulder. Troy wrapped an arm around his waist and gently bumped his forehead against his.

"She's also Sharpay," he stressed.

"I know she can be a pain in the ass, but she's my twin and I love her," Ryan said. "So if you diss her, you're dissing me." Troy chuckled gently against him.

"You two are nothing alike," he reasoned. Ryan tried muffling a laugh that came out in a snort instead.

"You would be surprised, Troy Bolton, how similar we can be," he insisted. Troy smiled before turning to the clock and sighing with reluctance.

"I have to get to work," he stated grudgingly before gently kissing his cheek. "I'll see you later, okay?" Ryan nodded half-heartedly as Troy stood up and walked towards the door. It amazed him how calmly Troy was taking the Sharpay fiasco. Ryan was sure he was probably making a bigger deal out of it than he should, but this one seemed different. Yes, he and Sharpay had argued before, but not like this. Their bitter remarks (or rather _his _bitter remarks) seemed to sever their relationship. Like he had disowned his sister in that conversation.

But they were family. They always got through the difficult times together; reconciled their actions. They would make up eventually, right? _Right?_ Even the voice in his head was silent.


	22. Bi Celibacy

**A/N:** To those of you who are scratching your heads saying, "I thought you already uploaded this chapter." This one is slightly revised due to some critiques (I'm pretty hardcore about that stuff). Not that much different, just changed some wordings of sentences and stuff. For those of you who are here for the first time, scratch out all the above and enjoy!

**C**_h_a**p**_t_e**r** _T_w**e**_n_t**y**_-_T**w**_o_: **B**_i_ C**e**_l_i**b**_a_c**y**

"What's wrong with you," Troy asked, watching as Ryan seemed to be debating whether or not he should eat the ice cream. They sat outside a local ice cream shop, shaded from the sun. Albuquerque was going through a heat wave as July was nearing its end. Despite being loosely clothed, both boys were sweating. "You scared of it or what?"

"Is it sanitary," Ryan asked. "Because if I get sick from this stuff, I'm going to blame it on you."

"My god," Troy complained. "You're such a prissy rich person." Ryan stuck his tongue out at him before daring to take a lick. Content that he was finally eating it, Troy took another lick of his own cone. The cold was pleasantly refreshing when he was melting with heat.

"You're such a hater," he commented, leaning back in his chair. "Why are we doing this anyway?" Troy gave him a peculiar expression that made his question sound redundant.

"I'm making you normal," he answered with a smile.

"Should I be offended that you don't think I am?"

"Oh come on, it gives us something to do together," he insisted. Ryan smiled as well, also knowing the other reason why their outings meant so much, but he wasn't sure if Troy was aware of that.

"You're right," he allowed. "So what else is on the agenda?"

"You'll see," Troy said, a mischievous smile playing at his lips. Ryan couldn't help but find the expression slightly sexy. He looked down, blushing at his own thought. Troy continued to eat his dessert. "Was it hard to come out to your parents?" He asked.

"Yeah," Ryan admitted, adjusting his hat to wipe his brow that was starting to glimmer with sweat. "I came out to my mom first. It seemed easier. Heck, it was easier. But it took me a while. In the end though, I was glad that I came out." Troy nodded, deep in thought.

"Should I tell them that I'm gay?" He wondered. Ryan's face became puzzled.

"Yeah, you should come out," he stated. Troy shook his head.

"That's not what I meant, Ry," he explained. "I meant whether I should tell them I'm gay or bi."

"Well, which one do you think you are?"

"Bi."

"You're sure," Ryan asked.

"Well, if we need to make a test out of it, we will," he answered. "But I'm pretty sure. I mean, I was attracted to Gabriella. And I am attracted to you. Although, I think my attraction for you is slightly more than anything I had with Gabriella. I don't know how to explain it, I just…it feels like more. Like you mean more to me or some other cheesy crap that I can think of to explain what I can't explain." Ryan laughed. "I'm not sure how I'm supposed to tell my parents that."

"If you think telling your parents that you're gay is easier than saying you're bi, then go ahead," Ryan encouraged. "I don't think it matters that much, but if it bothers you then make it easier." Troy nodded.

"Sexuality is so confusing," he stated. Ryan laughed.

"Yeah," he agreed. "Although it's easy to mix it up with individuality. Take me, for an example: I'm openly gay but I'm also a downright stereotype of what being gay is. And it took me a while to figure out if it was my lifestyle that made me gay, or if being gay influenced my lifestyle." He shook his head. "Psychology is weird."

"So which one is it?" Troy asked. A smile touched Ryan's features.

"Neither," he replied. "At least, that's what I think. They're two separate things to me. Being gay has nothing to do with my love for the arts. I guess it would be fair to say that if I were straight, I might do more masculine things, but perhaps I would still enjoy arts. After all, there are gay men who hate theater."

"That's a crime against humanity."

"I know," Ryan said and they both broke out into large smiles, finding humor in this. Troy reached for his hand across the table, caressing the smooth skin. "Your hands are sticky." Ryan noted, making a face. Troy laughed.

"Really, smart one?" He asked sarcastically. "You done with your ice cream yet? I got something to show you." Ryan looked down at his partially eaten ice cream cone. He still hadn't managed to get to the cone part.

"Can I take it to go?" He wondered.

"Yeah, but as soon as we get there, it better be gone," he replied.

**x** _x_ x **X** _x_ x **x**

"Damn it Troy, can I open my eyes now," Ryan asked. It wasn't like it really mattered since Troy was covering his eyes with his hands anyway. Troy laughed gently behind him.

"We're almost there," he said softly in his ear.

"Ugh, I hate walking like this," he moaned. "I'm always afraid I'm going to run into the wall."

"You think I'd let that happen to you?" He asked.

"Yes," he answered, although by now he was smiling. Troy chuckled softly. A few more steps later, Troy announced happily:

"We're here!" Ryan's eyes were then uncovered only for him to see the sight of his Porsche. He turned back to Troy, thoroughly confused.

"What is this?" He demanded.

"I thought we could cool off," Troy said. "I'm starting to feel really gross, aren't you?" Ryan nodded in agreement.

"But what does that have to do with my car?" He demanded. Troy had that mischievous look about him again.

"I asked Fulton to bring it out," he answered. "We're going to wash it." Ryan just looked even more confused.

"_Why?_"

"Because it's what normal people do," he answered. "Now quit being a baby and grab a sponge. You can soap and I'll wash." Ryan continued to look at him.

"Are you serious?" He asked. "I don't know how to do that."

"That's why I'm here," Troy said. "I can teach you." He went around to the side of the car where buckets and sponges as well as a hose waited for them (courtesy of the Lava Springs staff). Ryan adjusted his hat and sighed, still not understanding why they were doing this. Troy soaked one of the sponges in a soap material and handed it to Ryan.

"Now just wash the car with this stuff," Troy said. "Like this." He demonstrated by picking up a second sponge, soaking it in the soap, and then wiping the side of the car. Ryan mimicked the motion.

"Like this?" He asked. Troy nodded.

"You're getting it," he replied. "I'm going to hook up the hose, okay?" Ryan nodded as he continued to wipe the car with sponge. The cold soap felt good on his fingers. Troy was hooking up the hose, trying to figure out how much water he wanted and subsequently getting splashed by it. Ryan laughed from where he was.

"Smooth," he commented. Troy turned and stuck out his tongue. Ryan reached to cover the top of his car in soap, watching as some of the bubbles popped. Troy came back with the hose, a small amount of water pouring from it. Upon nearing Ryan, he put his thumb over the hole and pointed it at him. Ryan turned in disbelief as Troy began washing off the soap, acting like he hadn't done anything.

"Troy! Why'd you do that," he asked. Troy turned.

"Do what?" He inquired. His eyes narrowed at him in suspicion before turning back to rubbing the scum that didn't exist off his car. He then turned and wiped the sponge into Troy's hair. Satisfied with his revenge, he resumed his task. Troy stood with his mouth agape at what he had just done. He jerked the hose in his direction, splashing him in the face and managing to get his hat wet.

"That is _it_, Bolton!" Ryan said, attacking him with the sponge, managing to get him in the face. Troy, in turn, sprayed him with the hose. They laughed as Ryan grabbed the other sponge that had been left in the bucket of soap and squeezed all the soap on top of Troy's head. Troy watched him, hoping that the soap will come out after showering. He sprayed Ryan with more water before running towards the spigot and turning on the water to full blast. He chased Ryan around the car, both of them getting splashed and drenched in soap. Ryan was coming to understand that the reason why they were doing this wasn't just to wash the car.

Troy grabbed him from behind, pulling him to him as well as spraying him in the face with the hose. Ryan tried reaching for his face with the sponge but his position enabled him to reach. They were both out of breath from chasing each other around the car, yet they still managed to get out delayed laughs. Troy then kissed his cheek.

"You think you can sway me with that?" Ryan asked. "Because as soon as you let me go, I'm going to rub this sponge right into that smug smile of yours." Troy continued to laugh as his lips wandered down to his neck where he gently kissed him. Ryan tried squirming away from him, but at this point he didn't want to be released from his embrace. In fact, he wanted to remain this intimate.

Ryan turned so their lips could touch gently. Troy returned the intimacy, pressing himself even closer to him. They parted slowly, a moment or two going by before Ryan opened his eyes again.

"Where'd you get the idea to do this?" He wondered.

"I used to wash the car with my dad when I was younger," he explained. "We always made a game out of it. It was fun." Ryan smiled.

"Yeah," he agreed. "This was fun." Troy kissed him again.

"Good," he murmured against his lips before continuing to make out with him. Ryan smiled into their lip lock, permitting himself to return the kisses as well. Troy allowed his grip to loosen so Ryan could turn towards him, having better access to his lips. Ryan reached up, as if he were to wrap his arms around his neck. But instead, he pulled away from Troy and stuffed the sponge in his face.

"Gotcha!" He hollered before running towards the buckets. Dumbfounded, Troy did his best to get the soap off his cheeks.

"You sneaky little…" He let his sentence drift off as he followed him, dragging the hose along. Ryan picked up his bucket of soap and threw the liquid at Troy, his whole front covered in the gel-like substance. He stood in shock while Ryan covered his mouth with his hand, laughing.

"Ryan!" He sprayed him with the hose before tackling him to the ground, making sure he squirted him in the face. Ryan tried squirming away, but it was a lost battle in his fit of giggles and constantly spitting out the water so he could still manage to breathe.

"Stop, stop, stop," he exclaimed, trying to defend himself with his hands. After a few more seconds of revenge, Troy dropped the hose and allowed him to breathe. Ryan relaxed against the hot cement, the heat matched by his damp clothes. Troy leaned forward and gave him a small peck.

"What's with you today," Ryan asked. "I didn't realize you wanted me _this _much." Troy smiled.

"Gabriella and I used to make out whenever we were alone," he answered. "Well, if we ever had the opportunity to be alone. We were always interrupted by something. Anyway, I like what we have Ry; it's more playful." He watched Ryan grimace.

"You enjoyed kissing a girl?"

"I'm a guy," he stated. "Of course I enjoyed it." Ryan shook his head in disbelief but then moved to kiss him again. Troy returned the intimacy, moving to deepen them.

Ryan pulled away from him, conscious of their position. "Slow down, cowboy." His eyebrows came together. "Even Luca had the decency to wait. Now, get off me." Troy moved to sit next to him on the concrete.

"Wait for what?" Troy muttered. Ryan brushed the question off as rhetorical.

"Well, I'm cooled off now," he commented. "This was much more fun than swimming in the pool."

"I thought so," he agreed. Ryan smiled as he continued to lie on the ground.

"I think you ruined my hat though," he remarked, glancing over at his hat that had fallen sometime during their struggle. Sure enough, it was lying in a pool of water. Troy shrugged.

"You can get a new one," he replied. Ryan shook his head.

"You obviously don't know how much that hat cost," he said. They laughed and Ryan turned to look at the masterpiece they had made out of his car. The Porsche that was clean to begin with was now half washed and half soaped. Yet, Ryan loved it more than he ever had when it came back from being washed and waxed by professionals.

Perhaps that was the same way he felt about Troy: he was nothing special, not rich, exotic, or well classed. In fact, he'd probably be the one who would fall flat on his face if he ever had to step into the pretentious life Ryan lived. Somehow, though, Troy was able to give him something no one else ever could.


	23. Heart to Heart

**A/N:** Congratulations everybody, this chapter started on page 100. I have gotten to 100 in the past, but nevertheless, it's exciting to get there (lack of interest usually comes before I have the opportunity to make it). I really think having dedicated readers like you guys helps put my butt in gear. So, I think we should all party because you guys have been reading 100 pages of this stuff (and haven't left...yet) and as I've said, 100 is big for me so yeah.

Ok, back to topic so we can keep this author's note sweet and simple (which is almost useless with me because I just like to talk). Thanks for waiting out the gap, it was a series of unfortunate events for me. has been doing updating (or whatever it is they tell us), I had to make a solar cooker (and I have a mousetrap coming up, so I'll be gone again), and my cat broke my computer (don't ask). Anywhoo, you probably don't care about my excuses, but in the end I thought it was kind of funny how it was just one thing after another.

I'll explain my decisions for this chapter in the next chapter (as to not give it away) and I hope it transitioned better than I feel it transitioned. Unfortunately, my expertise in the editing field is all technical, so when I see story/plot errors, I'm useless trying to fix them. =\ I hope you enjoy what I have for you today, and take a super duper long time reading it so it won't seem so long before my next update. Oh, and uh, Happy Easter! If you don't celebrate Easter, um, well, enjoy your break!

**C**_h_a**p**_t_e**r** _T_w**e**_n_t**y**_-_T**h**_r_e**e**_: _H**e**_a_r**t** _t_o **H**_e_a**r**_t_

"What's up, Troy. And be honest this time," Ryan pressured after releasing him from a kiss where Troy displayed a bit less enthusiasm than normal. Troy smiled as he rested his forehead against his, releasing a small sigh.

"I can't get anything past you, can I?" He asked. Ryan shook his head.

"No, you really can't," he agreed. Troy gently pecked his cheek, more for comfort than for intimacy.

"Truth is I've been thinking a lot about what you've said," he admitted. "About me coming out and all that. And that maybe I should come out to my family. I mean, it worked out well with Chad…"

"That's a wonderful idea," Ryan said. "You'll feel much better, I promise."

"I want to believe you," he admitted. "Trust me, I do. But I don't."

"Why not," Ryan asked, moving away from him and playing with the fringes of the picnic blanket lying beneath them. Troy stretched out his legs.

"They're my parents. They've kind of lived a traditional life," Troy explained. "My dad's been wanting me to follow in his footsteps since I was five-years-old and saw I could make a basket. This isn't exactly part of the plan."

"Neither was joining theater, but he was supportive of that," Ryan pointed out. Troy scoffed.

"Took him long enough," he said. They were quiet a moment, letting the slight wind fill the silence. Ryan shifted in his position before looking back at him.

"You know, this is going to eat you up if you keep waiting," he said. Troy nodded.

"Which is why I'm going to tell them tonight."

**x** _x_ x **X** _x_ x **x**

Troy sat playing with his food at dinnertime, trying to find a way to bring up the subject. He knew his parents wouldn't bring it up and he didn't want to seem random in saying it, so he sat there feeling like a nervous wreck. However, he had to do this, and he hoped their reaction would be like Chad's.

"So what'd you do today, Troy?" His father asked, passing him a dish of vegetables. Troy put a few on his plate before passing it towards his mother.

"Oh, you know," he answered calmly. "I hung out with Ryan." Coach Bolton shook his head.

"Have you talked to Chad at all recently," he wondered.

"I was texting him earlier," he answered, and it wasn't even a lie. Chad _had _texted him a few minutes before but their conversation hadn't been much, just a formality of asking what the other was up to.

"How's he doing?"

"Good," he replied. "He's engaged to Taylor."

"So I heard," he said, his voice bellowing through the house in excitement. "Who would've thought that? I remember when he was barely three feet tall. Now he's engaged! It's unbelievable how you kids grow." Troy nodded in agreement.

"Chad is engaged?" asked. A nod from her husband and son confirmed her statement. "Aren't you boys still a bit young to be getting engaged?"

"Trust me mom," he said. "He may be engaged now but it'll probably take another thirty years before he gets up and says his 'I do's'."

"Still…" she insisted.

"So how's Ryan doing?" Coach Bolton asked. "You talk about how much time you spend with him but you never tell us what you two are doing. I mean, you walked in the other day completely soaked. You must be doing _something_." The memory brought a smile to his face.

"We hang out," he said. "You know, go swimming and stuff." The 'and stuff' was probably the most significant part of that sentence. Mrs. Bolton nodded.

"I'm glad you boys are having fun," she said with a smile.

"Is Ryan in any sports?"

"He's a dancer," he replied.

"That's it?"

"Well, he plays a little bit of baseball," Troy mused. "At least, that's what I've heard. I've never actually seen him play though."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," he replied. "He didn't seem too bright when I had him Phys. Ed."

"Dad," Troy said, slightly defensive. "He's my friend." _Boyfriend_, his mind emphasized.

"I know, I know," he reasoned. "I'm sorry."

Troy pushed the vegetables around his plate, debating this over in his head. Was the kitchen table a good way of coming out or should he wait a little longer? He looked up and watched his parents eat. They were the two people he had known his entire life. The ones he could always lean on for support and advice. Was he really getting himself worried over nothing? He wasn't sure.

"Mom, dad, I got something to tell you," he said quietly, looking at them a moment before looking down, only to look back up at them. He felt both of his parents' eyes on him. This was it, wasn't it? His stomach gave a squeeze.

"Well, what is it Troy?" His father asked.

He opened his mouth to speak, feeling his heart starting to pound out of his chest. For a slight second he was sure he couldn't do it. It was too hard; too risky. And it was so much harder than telling Chad.

His gaze lifted again to match his parents'. Sucking in a breath, he said the two words that would change his life. "I'm gay."

**x** _x_ x **X **_x_ x **x**

Ryan was starting to learn that he was a very boring person. After having dinner at the club restaurant, he realized that he had no plans. Normally he spent his evening with Sharpay or Troy, but since Troy was spending the evening with his parents and Sharpay was still mad at him, he had nothing to do. It was kind of weird being by himself again.

Back in New York, he and Luca used to spend most of their nights together. They had been such bums most of the time with movie marathons or watching reruns of _The_ _Golden Girls_. Every so often they would go out for a Broadway show or to tour the city, but it soon became a routine that they watched movies and pigged out on popcorn. If it weren't for the fact that Ryan danced his ass off at school the next day, he knew he probably would've become fat (or fatter, he'd critique when he'd look into the mirror and see he was of a softer build).

Now, the ideas for what to do seemed limited. As much as he enjoyed movies, it wasn't the same as watching one with someone else. Scratching that idea out, he decided to call Gabriella. Picking up his new phone, he searched for her number in his contacts (thanks to Troy, he still had almost everybody's phone number he originally had) and called.

It didn't take her long to pick up and they talked for nearly a half hour before she brought up his relationship with Troy.

"Are you guys doing okay," she asked.

"Yeah, it's going great," he replied.

"That's good," she said. "If you guys are happy, then I'm happy for you." Ryan chuckled, rolling onto his back, staring at the ceiling.

"I can't believe how cool you are about this," he remarked. "With you being Troy's ex and all."

"Well, I knew it was bound to happen," she insisted. "I kind of always had that doubt in my mind. Maybe that's the reason why I always seemed to push him away so much." There seemed to be a small tinge of regret in her voice. Ryan tried not to dwell on that.

"I think I saw some signs throughout high school," he said. "But I didn't go off on them because I convinced myself it was just wishful thinking."

"You liked him during high school?" She sounded surprised.

"Kind of," he allowed, although he felt his face turn red. He was thankful she wasn't there to witness it. "But I would've never…I mean, I wouldn't have ever tried to take him from you." As he said that though, a small pit of guilt grew because, in a way, he did.

"It's all right, Ryan," she said. "I support you guys."

"It's not going to last anyway," he told her.

"What do you mean?"

"Let's be reasonable," Ryan explained, although he felt bitter towards himself for pushing the facts out there. "We only have a few weeks, at the most, before school starts again. Troy's at Berkeley – I'm at Julliard. We're literally on opposite sides of the country. Yes, I've enjoyed what we've had but the reality is it doesn't work." Gabriella was silent a moment.

"Does Troy know that?" She asked.

He sighed. "Probably not."

"You better make sure you tell him then," she advised. "Ry, Troy tends to be impulsive. Sometimes it can be really sweet and romantic, but other times it's just making a mistake. I mean, look at how he decided to go to Berkeley. Impulse." Ryan was quiet as he thought about it. Damn, she was right. Their senior year, he had gotten the impression that Troy had wanted to go to the University of Albuquerque, or even perhaps take the chance on going to Julliard. But because he couldn't stand the distance between him and Gabriella, he chose a third route. And although they had all been supportive of his choice, an unsaid expression asked if that was sincerely what Troy wanted.

"Yeah, I'll let him know," he promised.

"Sorry, I don't mean to damper things with that, I'm just making you aware," she said.

"No, I get it," he replied. _Impulsive_. Ryan flipped the word over in his mind. It wasn't always bad. Heck, his first kiss with the basketball star had been a result of impulse. He couldn't deny it was a double-edged sword though. The literary character Romeo was an excellent example of that. While studying Shakespeare's famous play, it was pointed out repeatedly that Romeo was too impulsive. And although it worked to woo Juliet, it also resulted in his demise.

They talked some more, although the topic had been turned away from Troy. After a few minutes, Ryan felt himself completely distracted from the topic, his mind still set on the basketball boy. Realizing this, he and Gabriella's conversation drifted a little longer before he said goodbye, claiming he had something else to do.

Afterwards, he lay on his bed, trying to think this through. As much as he enjoyed having Troy with him, he knew the reality of their situation. He hated it, knowing they'd go off in separate directions, but he couldn't possibly stop it either. Perhaps Troy leaving would be better, for it could force him not to get too attached. Yet another part of him feared that he would become an emotional wreck again.

A knock interrupted his thoughts, and he sat up. Did Sharpay finally get over their fight? He highly doubted it. Nevertheless, it didn't take him long to answer the door only to find Troy. He wasn't sure how to greet him when his face looked so sullen. Troy's eyes met his before looking away. He seemed to struggle to find the words he wanted to say.

"Troy…" he started, but wasn't sure how to continue. Troy bit his lower lip as he found the words and was trying to voice them the best he could:

"They kicked me out, Ry."


	24. Marching On

**A/N:** I've been thinking of how to write this author's note and this chapter for a couple of months now which is a big mistake because I'm finding that if I think too in depth of what I'm going to write but not write it, it never comes out the way I want it. Anyway, I was thinking about this chapter almost since the start because it was like my cornerstone of my argument. See, this fic has been basically my giant opinion of how the tryan situation would go down in the movies. And such details and plot pieces such as the story takes place after their high school years and how the other character's react are all part of it. I then use parts of the movies to justify my claims. Therefore, here is my justification for having Troy's parents (specifically his dad) react the way they do:

Jack Bolton was probably the most stereotypical image you could get in his prime time. He was the basketball star and probably Prom king and king of the school. He and Lucille were probably high school sweethearts (much like Gabriella and Troy were) and lived a traditional life. Having been such a public figure in high school, the glory days never really left him so he got a job at his high school as a coach (since that's probably the only thing he could be properly qualified for. Not trying to dish out on him, but c'mon). When Troy came along, it was a perfect way to keep his legacy going - through his son. Troy lived up to the reputation for a good long while until he met Gabriella and found his love for the Arts. This is not part of the plan. The Arts is pretty liberal and no doubt Mr. Bolton is concerned that his son could falter from his conservative ways to those of the corrupt liberals and be exposed to such things as homosexuality. Especially when there's an openly gay student who's already involved with that group. Now, sometimes parents just know things. They have that creepy sixth sense of just knowing. So chances are, Mr. and Mrs. Bolton have already suspected that Troy was gay a long time ago, but they refused to acknowledge it and tried everything to raise their child straight. Thus, putting their son around someone who could raise those emotions towards the gay end is like watching a train wreck. However, they slowly let him explore this area of the Arts, and it looked like it was fine since he was with Gabriella. Well until now...

So realistically, I don't believe Troy's parents would be very accepting at first. I think eventually they would accept it but it would be a long, long time before they did. Maybe the Disneyed side of it would have it be all happy and have them accept it, but Disney can also let bad things happen to its characters if the character will grow and succeed despite the struggle. Sorry to deadpan this explanation, but if you wanted to know why I wrote this the way I did, this is it.

Guys, I'm super sorry about this author's note, but I do have one more thing. It's real quick, I promise. I titled the chapter after the song by One Republic called Marching On. I've always felt that One Republic is the one band that captures Troy and Ryan's relationship. I dare you guys to listen to any one of their songs and relate it to this couple, and it's like in synch (ex. Stop and Stare = perfect). I'm surprised that nobody's made a video to those songs with this pairing. So I do challenge you all to at least listen to Marching On because I think it's just brilliant. I can't even explain it, you just have to listen for yourselves. But make sure you don't listen to the timbaland version otherwise I'll stab you with my fork. =D

Anyway, again, I'm so so sorry about the long author's note. You can just skip over it if you like!

**C**_h_a**p**_t_e**r** _T_w**e**_n_t**y**_-_F**o**_u_r**:** _M_a**r**_c_h**i**_n_g **O**_n_

Ryan ushered him in, but wasn't sure what to say. How does anybody comfort someone in a situation like this? The only tactic Ryan's mind fumbled over was not to push him. Pushing would just make things worse and Troy wouldn't be able to trust him. No, just being there would be helpful.

"Do you want to sit down?" He asked quietly. Troy didn't answer but did sit down at the foot of his bed. The whole time, his eyes never left the ground, but Ryan could see this was used as a method to try and keep it together. He sat down next to him, yet he made sure to give him plenty of space.

A silence drifted over them. It was unlike any of their other silences, where it was awkward and they didn't want to offend each other or they ran out of words to say. This one seemed to say more than anything else ever had. And for Ryan, the big message he was getting out of the stillness of the room was simply: this is all _your_ fault. If it weren't for the fact that Troy hadn't uttered these words, even under his breath, Ryan would be swearing apologies up and down even though the words were hollow to the guilt he felt. He'd beg for forgiveness repeatedly but knew this wasn't a situation where you could be forgiven. There was just blame. And loss.

With all these thoughts and emotions rushing through his head, Ryan almost wanted to break down himself. However, it wasn't his time to be babied and cry his way out of things. This moment was Troy's, and he owed every ounce of his being to making sure his boyfriend knew he was there for him.

None of these thoughts, however, seemed to preoccupy Troy's mind.

"I didn't even think to pack," he muttered, taking in a breath to steady the slight quivers in his voice. "I probably should've done that."

"I can get you anything you need," Ryan assured him, making sure to keep his voice low. Troy didn't react to what he said. Ryan could barely stand watching Troy's stern face, masked only in this one expression so as to not fall apart at the reality of what happened.

Troy's gaze lifted slightly, although it was towards the window. It didn't last long, for within a blink, his eyes returned to the carpet beneath his shoes. _Dammit Troy, I am __**so **__sorry,_ Ryan pleaded mentally.

"You're not even going to ask what happened?" Troy asked, his voice gaining an edge in replacement of the quiver. Ryan blinked, slightly taken aback.

"I didn't want to make you feel obligated to tell me," he explained. "If you want to talk about it, I'm okay with it, but if you don't, that's fine too."

He nodded, understanding Ryan's silence.

"It wasn't as bad as it could've been," Troy admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I decided to come out while we were eating, so it was mostly civil. Have you ever seen those political debates where they have the two candidates standing like right next to each other and they're getting so wound up they're almost cussing each other out?" Ryan nodded slowly, knowing the stereotypical image, but never having watched one himself. "It was kind of like that."

"So, that's it?"

Troy shook his head, his lower lip trembling a little in the process. He managed to recompose himself though.

"My dad and I were arguing for a while," he continued. "I kept trying to give him my side of it and he basically did everything he could to contradict what I was saying as well as ignoring what I said. Eventually, he maxed out on arguing with me, so he just told me to get out."

"What about your mom?" Ryan asked gently.

"She was trying to calm us both down," he answered. "To be honest, I don't really know what she thinks about it."

"So it was basically just an argument," he asked.

"It wasn't just 'an argument', Ry," Troy said defensively, his eyes filling with tears. He quickly swatted them away before they could threaten to spill. He sniffed. "He said some shit things about us. And he said some horrible things about you too." At that confession, Troy turned to look towards the window again, not wanting to see Ryan even in the corner of his eye. Ryan was quiet before he gently placed his hand on top of Troy's, opening his mouth to tell him it was okay and that he wasn't offended. However, Troy took him by surprise by jumping at his touch and yanking his hand away.

"Don't," he said sternly before allowing his face to fall into his hands, nearly crumbling into tears. It took quite a bit of strength to continue to hold it in. But somehow, Troy managed to remain mostly composed. Watching him nearly fall apart like this just about broke Ryan's heart as well.

"Troy, I am so sorry," he spoke softly, although his voice reverberated tremors. Troy's composure faltered as he looked up at him, finally making eye contact.

"Sorry doesn't solve anything, Ryan!" He sobbed. "_You_ said they'd accept it! _You _said I'd be happier when I came out! _You _said everything would be fine! And I _believed_ you. Well, look what happened! I lost my family, Ry. And dammit, I knew it wouldn't end well too. What am I supposed to do now?" He then buried his face into his hands as he broke into tears, unable to talk anymore since his breath was constantly hitching. Ryan's own guilt nearly made him weep, for he knew Troy had every right to be mad and upset at him and yet he felt like a knife had been stabbed through his chest.

A part of him wanted to beg for forgiveness or something that could repay Troy for the damage. But he knew none of that would solve anything and the guilt was insurmountable. All that was left for either one of them to do was pick up the pieces afterwards.

**x** _x_ x **X** _x_ x **x**

Troy came out of the bathroom, scrubbing his wet hair dry with a towel. Ryan was still seated on his bed, flicking through one of his fashion magazines with his legs crossed. Next to him, an outfit was laid out, awaiting Troy's arrival.

He fingered the garments carefully, noticing it wasn't like any of the designer stuff Ryan dressed himself in. In fact, the clothes held the same comfort level as anything else Troy had in his wardrobe. Tentatively, he picked up the shirt.

"If you don't like them, I'll ask Fulton to exchange them," Ryan commented, although his gaze never left the page. Troy looked over at him, then turned his attention back to the clothes. Their interaction around each other was like treading water ever since they both broke down.

"Thanks," he said quietly, picking up the clothes before sitting down next to him. He fingered the collar of the shirt, but didn't put it on yet. Ryan paid him no attention as he turned the page, his focus only on what the latest style of shoes were. Troy fidgeted absently some more, before speaking, "I'm sorry, Ryan."

Ryan paused for a moment before continuing to read.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you," he continued. "I was just…so upset. I mean, all of this just happened and I was overwhelmed and I was mad and depressed and all that other crap. But I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken that out on you."

"No, I get it," Ryan admitted. "And you have every right to be mad at me."

"It was still wrong," he insisted. They were both quiet a moment. This time, Ryan didn't return to his magazine, instead waiting for Troy to speak again. "I'm just worried," Troy added softly. "They were my support system. Now, I have almost nothing. I mean, I don't even know if I have enough to pay for the first semester at Berkeley, let alone everything else I need."

"Don't worry about that," Ryan assured him. "I'll pay for it."

"Ryan, I could never ask you to do that," he said.

"Then don't ask," he replied. "Just take it. I can pay for all your expenses." Troy was silent as he thought about it. He had never thought of using the Evans' fortune for insurance, but now that the option was up there, he wasn't sure he could pass up the opportunity.

"I'll pay you back," he promised. "With interest." A smile touched the blonde's features.

"I don't think that's entirely smart," he warned. "Because you'll end up being in debt for the rest of your life."

**x **_x _x **X** _x_ x **x**

Ryan shifted in his sheets as he waited for sleep to come. For some reason, he couldn't find a way to be comfortable, so he just lay in his current position so as not to disrupt Troy's sleep as well. Of all the things rushing through his mind, the fact that he and Troy were sleeping in the same bed didn't even faze him. No, the more important matter for his mind to conceptualize was what to do now. Things weren't exactly going according to plan. How was he ever going to tell Troy that their relationship had to end before school starts? He didn't want to hurt him anymore, but they couldn't possibly manage a long distance relationship.

He closed his eyes a moment before opening them again. It was going to be a long night.

**x **_x _x **X** _x_ x **x**

Ryan woke up fairly early the next morning. Between not being able to get to sleep until two in the morning and waking up at five, his brain was too wound up to allow his body to rest.

He quietly slid out of bed, looking back precariously to make sure he hadn't awaken Troy. He grabbed his robe and slippers before sneaking out the door.

The thing was, Ryan was at a loss. This situation was beyond his expertise and he felt helpless in trying to solve it. Yes, he was offering a nice amount of money of his inheritance to help Troy with living expenses and giving him a place to stay, but those things seemed minimal. He had no idea how to comfort Troy and he had no idea how to counsel him on the situation. He wasn't even sure if he was supposed to offer ways to amend Troy's relationship with his parents.

At Julliard, many of the other openly gay students had their stories to tell. Most of them were stories of humorous and happy tales of their journey to coming out. However, a few of them told some of the most horrible experiences from coming out. Some of their stories were like Troy's in that they were kicked out of the house and ended up living with an open-minded relative and others were stories of trying to escape absolute torture. Some of his classmates were taken to be 'fixed' while others pretended to 'become' straight to avoid persecution. And then there was one guy who vaguely said that he was the object of abuse once he came out. Every story Ryan heard had left his mind whirling, but each time he had been constantly grateful that none of those were his experience for he would never know how to cope.

Now, he found himself facing one of those exact situations. And although it wasn't happening directly to him, he still felt like he had to do something. The question was _what_ he should do. Which was why he needed to seek counsel of his own.

He opened the door of the room across from his, making sure he didn't make too much noise for his sister was still asleep in a fortress of blankets and pillows. He gently climbed into the spot next to her before gently shaking her awake. He knew from past experience that waking her was dangerous territory, but if it must be done, it has to be _very _gently. Sharpay wasn't much of a morning person.

She moaned, irritated, but didn't open her eyes.

"C'mon Shar, wake up," he urged quietly. She reluctantly opened her eyes, her expression annoyed. But whether it was because he woke her up or because she was still mad at him, he wasn't sure. Ultimately, he decided it was both.

"What do you want?" She demanded, her voice a bit groggy.

"I need your help, Shar," he answered quietly.

"_You _need _my_ help?" She sneered. "Why don't you ask your _boyfriend_?"

"It's about Troy, actually," he replied.

"Oh, trouble in paradise?" She asked. "Boo-hoo." She then rolled her eyes. "I don't have time for this, Ry."

"Shar, let me talk," he insisted. "Troy's parents kicked him out of the house."

"So what?"

Ryan's brows came together in disappointment.

"So he's staying with us," he replied. "But I have no idea how to handle something like this. And I was hoping maybe you'd help me out. I'm at a loss here, Shar, if you could do something – anything – it'd be helpful."

"Why should I help you, huh?" She asked. "Especially when you've been stabbing me in the back." Ryan winced.

"I'm sorry."

"Oh please, like this isn't the only time," she said, and then rolled her eyes. "Ever since Gabriella came here, that's all you've been doing to me. You sold me out to help put 'the perfect couple' back together the summer before our senior year. And then during our senior year, you didn't help me _once_. Not with Tiara, not with anything! Yeah, you can talk about your sappy 'I'm-an-abused-puppy' story, but you and I, we know the truth: you wouldn't be here without me to support _you_." She took a deep breath and stroked a hand through her messy blonde curls. "Okay, I'm done now." She then turned away from him, pulling the comforter closer to her chin.

"I'm sorry you feel that way," he told her. "But this isn't even about me. Right now, it's about Troy. I thought that you'd at least be willing to help him. Look, I know you can be shallow, but this is just ridiculous." He shook his head as he got up from the bed.

She sighed quietly while waiting for him to leave. She _hated_ the fact that he was making her feel so damn guilty. It wasn't that she wanted to stay mad at him forever, but can't she give her side of it too? If she had been willing to hear him out, why couldn't he do the same for her?

"You know," Ryan added on his way out the door. "We used to be real close." He paused by the door, watching to see if she would move. And when she didn't, he shook his head. "I kind of miss it."

Sharpay closed her eyes, conflicted on what she was supposed to do next.

**x **_x _x **X** _x_ x **x**

Ryan spent a few hours in one of the studios going through some of his yoga poses. They weren't as effective that morning though, his mind too full to allow himself to relax. Even adding music couldn't soothe him. Eventually, he gave up and just sat on the floor, debating mentally how he was going to cope. But of course, the only thing his mind came up with was a giant blank.

**x **_x _x **X** _x_ x **x**

"Good morning," Ryan greeted Troy when he returned to his room. The basketball boy was finally awake, although his eyes still held a bit of drowsiness. "There's a brunch in the dining hall if you're hungry." Troy gave a weak smile.

"Anything good?"

"Define good," Ryan retorted, pushing a smile of his own. Troy's face brightened momentarily. He then yawned.

"Where were you?"

"Yoga," he answered. "You slept in awfully late. It's what; nearly nine-thirty." He checked the clock to confirm his guess. Troy rolled his eyes.

"That's still early," he said. "When it's past noon, then it's considered late."

"It's still late to me," he commented, then let a second pass before asking, "How are you?"

"Okay," he admitted. "All things considered." Ryan nodded.

"That's…good, I guess," he said. "Well, I'm going to go take a shower. Feel free to go to the brunch. I'll meet you there."

"Okay."

"And if you need anything, just…let me know," he added as headed towards the bathroom door. Troy nodded.

"Thanks Ry," he called after him. "For everything,"

Ryan turned towards him again. "Well, in crap situations like these, there's only one thing you can do: keep marching on."


	25. Forgive and To Get

**A/N:** Your patience is ever appreciative. I totally had the motivation to write too, my brain just can't find the words. Anyway, I do want to apologize again for the long a/n in the last chapter: so yeah, I'm extremely **_sorry_**! (- now those who don't read this a/n anyways, will see it too)

Timeline: we got four chapters left guys. However, so I can land on an even number, I'm going to push it to five (somehow)

David-El: I am so very sorry I've been unable to respond to your reviews. You've reviewed several times and I've highly appreciated it but I can't seem to be able to contact you, so I'm doing it here. Thanks for your support, and to your latest review the answer is: the issue hasn't been addressed yet to the first, and yes to second (if u take out that 'or' part).

I tend to advertise once or twice, so here's something if you have extra time on ur hands. I personally find humor in it, but perhaps it can be taken seriously. So thanks HeonisticRainbow, whoever you are, for adding to our fandom. FF is being a little stupid right now, so if the link doesn't show up, put the beginning address for youtube on there, and add the ending part.

/watch?v=NQLwgmQj4C4

**C**_h_a**p**_t_e**r** _T_w**e**_n_t**y**_-_F**i**_v_e**: **_F_o**r**_g_i**v**_e_ a**n**_d_ T**o** _G_e**t**

Troy found Ryan in one of the dancing studios several mornings later, practicing yoga. It seemed that was the morning ritual, for there hadn't been a day that had gone by where Troy woke up to find Ryan still asleep beside him. If Troy saw the blonde boy at all in the morning, it was later when he returned from his exercise.

"Don't you ever get lonely," he asked. Ryan opened his eyes, startled.

"Oh, hey," he said, smiling a little before unraveling from the Lotus pose. "What are you doing here?"

"Breakfast wasn't that good today," he replied, walking closer to him. "I thought you had yoga with a class." He looked around the empty studio, not sure how Ryan could stand the silence.

"I do," he admitted. "But…I don't know… I like this." He gestured around him. "It's quiet."

"Yeah, and so is a cemetery," he said, laughing as he plopped down next to him. Ryan pushed up a smile and shook his head.

"So how are you?" He inquired. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Yeah," Troy allowed. "I'm not used to silk sheets though." Ryan chuckled.

"And you give me crap for not being 'normal'," he said. "Well, you're the oddball in my world now." Troy nodded.

"I guess you're right," he allowed. "But the majority of people aren't rich, so you're still weird." He then nudged him playfully before resting his hand on top of his. "But that's why I like you." He then brought his hand up to his lips and kissed it.

"I can see why you and Gabriella dated for so long," Ryan commented. "You're such a romantic."

"Just one of my charms," he answered brightly, flashing him a wide smile.

"Your ego pushes it though," he told him. "My god." Troy smiled a bit, but as soon as it started to fade, he switched the topic.

"Ry, can I ask you for a favor?" He wondered.

"Anything," Ryan replied.

"I know you've already done so much for me," he said. "But do you think you could get my stuff?" Ryan raised a brow.

"Your stuff?"

"From my house," he explained. "Some of my things hold sentimental value, you know."

"Yeah, sure," he said, understanding what he meant now. "I'll do it."

"You sure?" He asked. "Because I can get Chad to do it too, you know."

"No, I can do it," Ryan assured him. "You sure you don't want to come with, though?" Troy didn't look at him as he shook his head.

"It's a bit soon," he said. "I'm not sure I'm up to it yet." Ryan nodded.

"I'm real sorry about all this," he stated quietly. Troy waved him off.

"Come on, Ry, it's not your fault," he insisted. "And you were right: we just got to keep moving on." He then wrapped his arm around his boyfriend's waist, forcing him to sit closer. "Plus I have you." He then kissed the top of his head. Ryan blushed in his embrace before kissing him back.

"Is there anything in particular you want me to pack," he asked.

"Yeah, I'll make a list later," he replied. "Right now I just want to spend time with you."

"So I won't be finishing my yoga?"

"Nope," he answered as his lips met Ryan's. Ryan smiled into the intimacy, using the hand that wasn't already interlocked with Troy's to keep his face from leaving.

**x **_x_ x **X** _x_ x **x**

Ryan sighed as he took his keys from the valet. He had to admit, this task Troy asked him to do was not his favorite, but if it somehow balanced his guilt, he was willing to do it.

"Hey," the voice came from behind as he opened the driver's door. He turned and found Sharpay standing in front of the Lava Springs entrance, oversized sunglasses blocking her eyes.

"I thought we were done talking," he said softly.

"Ryan, can I just – "

"No," he interrupted coldly. "Don't you get it, Shar? I said I was done." He turned back towards his car.

"Oh, and I'm the bitch," Sharpay said sarcastically. "I just came to tell you that – " she hesitated, for her next words felt like acid on her tongue as well as a sign of weakness, "I'm sorry." He looked back at her.

"You're apologizing?"

She crossed her arms over her chest, still rather uncomfortable with the situation.

"Well, I said it, didn't I?" She questioned. She stepped towards him. "I have to face it, Ry: you're my brother and no matter how mad I can get at you, it can't be forever. I just wanted to make sure that we're still good."

He nodded, thinking it over. "I guess we are."

"Good," she said pointedly. "Because I was starting to worry about you. You've been so… different lately. I don't know if Julliard is turning you into a bitch or what, but you haven't been my kid brother."

"Shar," he reminded her. "We're twins."

"I'm still older," she insisted. "Anyway, I guess I was just…jealous. I mean, you knew I had been pining after Troy since, like, ever. And now all of a sudden, _you _get him. I just – you didn't even tell me you guys were even interested in each other."

"I know," he said quietly. "I'm sorry about that." They were both quiet a moment. Sharpay even looked like she was using her brain in deciding what to say next.

"You remember that chick flick movie we watched," she wondered. "It was called _27 Dresses_ and it was about that girl who was always the bridesmaid, but never the bride. And she was in love with her boss who wasn't interested in her and started dating her sister instead. Remember that?"

Ryan nodded, a smile toying at his lips. "It had James Marsden in it."

"You _still _have a thing for him," she asked, noticing the glazed look in his eyes.

"What? He's still hot," he argued. "Even if he is like twenty years older than me." She rolled her eyes.

"_Anyway_," she continued. "That's what I felt like: I should be happy for you but instead I felt like I got shot." Ryan felt that twinge of guilt hit him again.

"I'm sorry, Shar," he stated. She let the words hang in the air for a while before sighing, seeming to get rid of all those feelings.

"Well, it's over now," she said, her normal overly confident personality shining through again. "You're still my brother and I can't lose you to something stupid like this. I mean, how can I ever go shopping again if you're not there to critique me?" He laughed, shaking his head at her comment.

"So where are you going," she asked, turning her attention towards the vehicle. "I thought we had some time left before you go back to New York."

"Oh," he said, reminded of his duty. "I have to get Troy's things from his house."

"Why?"

"Were you not paying attention," he wondered. "I told you, Troy's kind of banned from the house right now. So he asked me if I could go pack his stuff, so I said yes." Sharpay shook her head.

"What a baby," she remarked.

"Look, it's my fault he's kicked out, so this is the least I can do for him," he explained.

"It's not _your _fault that_ he's_ gay," she pointed out. "So quit beating yourself up and let's go." She advanced towards the passenger's side.

"You're coming with?"

"Ryan, they think you turned their son gay," she said tersely. "You don't want to go alone."

**x **_x_ x **X** _x_ x **x**

"I forgot how poor Troy was," Sharpay commented when they pulled up to the curb. Ryan looked back at her, his expression puzzled.

"Shar, his family is like middle class," he corrected.

"Exactly," she replied before exiting the vehicle. Ryan sat for a moment, dumbfounded, before following her out.

"I don't even know what I'm supposed to say to them," he admitted, lagging a few steps behind his sister.

"Quit worrying Ry, it just makes things worse," she retorted. Reaching the door, she rang the bell. Ryan fumbled with a button on his shirt while they waited for someone to answer.

It wasn't long until Lucille came to the door, pushing up a smile for the visitors.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

"Yeah, we're here to pack up Troy's things," Sharpay answered. "I'm Sharpay Evans, and this is my brother Ryan." She gestured towards him with a flick of her hand. Mrs. Bolton nodded, Ryan's name registering in her mind.

"All right-y then," she said. "Come in." Sharpay came in and Ryan muttered a thanks for both of them.

"His room's upstairs, right," Sharpay asked. Lucille nodded, although her eyes seemed a bit distant.

"Would you like something to eat," she asked. "I've got cookies in the kitchen."

"No thanks," Ryan declined, heading for the stairs. "But thanks for offering." Lucille gently put her hand on his arm, stopping him from leaving.

"Is he staying with you?" She asked quietly. Ryan looked at her, finally taking notice in the weariness of her face and the quiet desperation to hear that her son was okay. Family seemed to mean more to the Boltons than it did to the Evans'. In Ryan's experience, family was just a hollow word used to describe the people he lived with or had as parents. But just looking at Lucille, he knew it meant everything to Troy. It was a special bond and no matter the situation, a part of it still remained.

Ryan nodded softly in answer to her question. "Yeah, he misses you guys," he added before heading up the stairs, where Sharpay was already going through his stuff.

"All right," he said when he came into the room, looking at the slip of paper Troy had given him. "Troy says he's got some boxes in his closet leftover from when he came back from Berkeley." He turned in that direction and grabbed a few of them. Sharpay paid no attention as she looked through his trophies.

"Hey, Shar," he summoned. "Can you pack up his clothes?" He tossed her one of the boxes and assigned himself to packing up pictures and scrapbooks. This task wasn't as hard as Ryan initially believed it to be, although there was a sort of eerie silence between his sister and himself as they continued to pack. Silence was never Sharpay's strength, but yet she seemed quieter than he was.

His attention soon drifted to the window that peered out on the backyard. Sure enough, Ryan caught sight of Jack Bolton shooting hoops on the basketball court. However, no matter how many balls he shot, not one of them made it in the basket.

Ryan bit his lip. _Like father like son_.


	26. Loose Connections

**A/N:** This chapter and the next one both aren't very long. However, you all might like this one a bit better because it's about the last of the sunny days for a while. Anyhoo, the peanut butter thing – I was eating peanut butter on celery (a.k.a ants on a log, only w/o the ants) while I was writing it so I thought: what the hay? However, I didn't mention the celery part thing in the story so if you're all going: wth with the peanut butter? u now know what they are eating (supposedly).

**C**_h_a**p**_t_e**r** _T_w**e**_n_t**y**_-_S**i**_x_: **L**_o_o**s**_e_ C**o**_n_n**e**_c_t**i**_o_n**s**

"You should really call your parents," Ryan informed Troy when he returned, carrying two boxes towards Troy's Chevy. "They miss you more than you think." Troy looked down at his shoes before taking one of the boxes and loading it into the trunk. It was a depressing thought, packing things up. How much time did he have left until he started the drive to Berkeley? A week? He wasn't sure since he had been specifically avoiding the date when he and Ryan would have to drift apart. In fact, both were avoiding the inevitable as if the longer it went unsaid, the more time they'd get with each other.

"Thanks for getting my stuff, Ry," he said. Ryan dragged a few more boxes out of his truck before hauling them back to Troy's vehicle.

"I'm serious, Troy," he told him. "You've got to talk to them." Troy's jaw clenched, his attempt at diverting the subject not working too nicely for him.

"I already tried that, Ryan," he replied. "You know how that went."

"Well, your mom looks like a ghost and your dad's obviously missing you," Ryan retorted. "Just man up and call them."

"Well, if he did 'man up', Ryan, I'm sure he wouldn't have asked us to get his stuff," Sharpay said pointedly, coming around the car and situating herself to watching her brother move the boxes.

"What are you doing here?" Troy asked, an edge to his voice. Sharpay lifted one well-plucked blonde brow.

"Helping Ryan," she responded.

"I thought you two weren't talking," Troy said to the male twin.

"She's my sister, Troy," he explained. "We never stay mad at each other forever." Troy's expression suggested otherwise but Ryan refused to acknowledge it. Ryan grabbed the remaining boxes and handed them to Troy.

"Thanks again," he murmured as he took them and shut the hood of the Chevy. Ryan nodded.

"You still need to call them though," he said as they walked towards Sharpay. "They really miss you."

"You sure?"

Ryan nodded, taking his hand. "I'm sure."

Sharpay looked the two up and down as they neared.

"Look at you two and your dopey grins," she commented. "Troy, would you mind parking the Porsche in the shade?" She then tossed him the keys. He nodded, although he looked slightly puzzled as he started the car.

"You know, Shar, that's what the valet is for," Ryan reminded her.

"I know," she insisted. "I just wanted to talk to you a moment."

"Okay," he said smoothly, although his face remained guarded.

"You ever think of Luca anymore?" She wondered. An expression of discomfort crossed his eyes, the name basically igniting a spark.

"Not really," he answered honestly. "But sometimes I'll think about him. Although, Troy has been doing a pretty good job helping me move on." She nodded.

"I see that," she allowed. "He makes you…happy." He nodded.

"I guess," he said. "I like being around him. He makes me…" a smile touched his features, "normal." His sister gave him a quizzical glance at his soft expression. Whatever magic Troy was using, it was definitely making Ryan happier again. Any traces of the Ryan she saw at the beginning of the summer were long gone. And although she hated to admit it, Troy was probably a good investment for Ryan.

"You must really care about him," she commented. "Hopefully you guys will last a while." Ryan winced.

"That's the thing Shar, we can't," he told her. "Don't get me wrong, I do like what Troy and I have, but…it'll be done before we go our separate ways. Long distance just doesn't work, you know."

"So you worked this hard for the relationship you have now, and you're going to throw it all away?" She asked in disbelief. "You're just going to break his heart and return to Julliard with a smile on your face?" Ryan didn't agree or deny her statements, although that response just confirmed what she already knew. "I see the way he looks at you Ryan, and you're going to destroy him. If you thought Luca was painful for you, then expect another round. And I think that somewhere in there, you know it too." She shook her head and walked away, heels clicking behind her.

"Shar," he called after her. But as was typical with Sharpay: she ignored him.

**x** _x_ x **X**_x_ x **x**

As their laughter died down, Ryan's face grew a bit more serious. "Can we talk?" He inquired, setting down the peanut butter. Troy's face still glowed with contentment.

"Sure," he allowed. "What's up, Ryan?" He moved himself a bit closer. Ryan bit his tongue nervously, hating himself for trying to broach the topic of their eventual departure. The worst part was that he had a difficult time convincing himself to go through with it. Oh how he hated when Sharpay was right.

"You've got peanut butter on your face," he announced instead, a smile gracing his features ever so slightly. As Troy tried to find it, Ryan dug out another blob of Skippy and smeared it over Troy's pretty face.

The brunette shook his head in disbelief.

"You will pay Ryan Evans," he threatened, grabbing their shared jar. "Prepare to die." He took his own knife and plastered the thick substance onto his face as well. Satisfied with his revenge, Troy sat back and wiped the peanut butter off his own face.

"Well," Ryan remarked. "That was the lousiest revenge you've ever done."

"That's 'cause I wasn't trying," he replied, sitting back. A few seconds passed before he spoke up again. "You know, I thought about what you said. About my parents and all."

"Really?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Maybe I'll call them later or something."

Ryan smiled at the slight relief. At least there'll be one thing he won't screw up.


	27. These Last Few Sleepless Nights

**A/N:** So as not to get questions about it, I'll say it now: **each one** of these is a **different** **night **when there's a break thingamabober in the story. And the nights are chronological, so I didn't put wednesday night in front of tuesday or anything else messed up like that. And none of these are the nights of the last few chapters. Just to clear that up. p.s. I was actually aiming for like four to five different night stuff but I ran out of ideas after the first two hahahaha so I had to write my grand finale.

Another thing, I think my writing style might become a haphazard to my mental health. In simple terms, I become the character I'm writing about. Subconsciously I reenact their emotions, dialogue, and even some actions (i don't cry tho). Most times I don't even catch myself doing it, it just happens. If this happens to everyone: GOOD! I'm not alone. But the point I'm making is that after "becoming" Ryan for this portion, I need to find something lighthearted to do.

P.S.(S.) I think it's still qualifiable to be a T rating. However, if there are those that don't agree, I will bump up to shut ppl up

**C**_h_a**p**_t_e**r** _T_w**e**_n_t**y**_-_S**e**_v_e**n**_:_ T**h**_e_s**e** _L_a**s**_t_ F**e**_w_ S**l**_e_e**p**_l_e**s**_s_ N**i**_g_h**t**_s_

"We don't have much time left," Troy stated, more so to the ceiling than to the boy lying next to him. The sticky humidity of August seemed to be deterring the sleep of both boys, despite the fact that they were in an air-conditioned room. Ryan lay on his side, although he was as awake as Troy was, staring aimlessly at the darkened walls of his bedroom.

"I know," he answered him quietly.

"So what are we going to do?" The question made Ryan's stomach churn uncomfortably. However, he refused to address this issue now. He still selfishly wanted to keep Troy to himself just a bit longer. Even if it was only for a few days.

"I don't know," he lied.

**x** _x_ x **X** _x_ x **x**

"You've been kind of distant lately," Troy observed, shifting in his sheets. "Is there something wrong, Ry?" He turned to his partner only to see a shake of the blonde's head as the answer.

Ryan, on the other hand, felt sick. He couldn't even face Troy when he held the guilt of what he was going to do. Earlier in the day, Sharpay had talked to him again about it. She had said pointedly that he was being stubborn about this and it was only going to cause more damage. He had refused to listen. Again. In his head, the arguments were clear: distance was difficult; they'd grow apart; someone is bound to cheat. It was just better to have a clean break and get it over with. It didn't make it hurt any less though.

Troy shifted back to staring at the ceiling, his emotions disarrayed in every direction, not sure which one he should feel. He felt water start to fill his eyes as he thought about a confession of his own.

"I love you, Ryan," he admitted, his voice so small he wasn't even sure if his words met the air. His jaw clenched, waiting for a reaction – any reaction. But there was nothing. Nothing at all. For a moment, Troy almost thought Ryan was asleep, but he knew otherwise when he looked over and Ryan's body was tense. "I do." Still nothing. Troy waited a few seconds, waiting for Ryan to say something. The silence only thickened as minutes ticked by with no response.

"I guess this just means more to me than it does to you," Troy commented hollowly, the words hardly escaping his lips at all. "But I thought…I thought…" He didn't continue.

Inside, Ryan wanted to cry. When Troy had asked if he was okay, he had wanted to curl up against him and admit everything so he could hear him say that it would be all right. That they'd fix this somehow someway. Now, after hearing Troy pour his heart out so simply, he wanted to stab a knife into his frozen heart for his inability to return the words that took so much to say. Instead, all he could see and react to was the fact that this confession was going to make his job a lot harder.

**x** _x_ x **X** _x_ x **x**

"It's our last night together, Ry," he said painfully. "I'm really going to miss you."

"Me too," he agreed, his heart throbbing miserably in his chest. It was their last night of the summer, not even mid-August, and Ryan had still failed to tell Troy that their relationship was going to end as soon as Troy's Impala exited the Lava Springs gates the following morning. He was being such a coward, lying about everything just so he could have these last few moments with him as his boyfriend.

Troy rolled over on his side, his arm holding his head up so the two could talk face to face.

"You know, despite everything that's happened to us," he began. "I'm really grateful for the summer we've had. Especially since I got this amazing boyfriend out of it." He leaned down and kissed him softly on the lips. Ryan felt like he didn't deserve it but he secretly cherished that kiss. He wanted to savor Troy's taste as long as he could.

It was nothing more than a mere peck really, but as soon as Troy released him, Ryan sat up to kiss him again, guiding Troy's lips to his. Their tongues met, although the battle for dominance – like it always was with Luca – was absent. In fact, all the rough and fiery intimacy that had surrounded Ryan's relationship Luca was counterbalanced with Troy's compassionate and soft approach. Instead of his body feeling on the edge and sparked to life, he felt himself relaxed and soothed. Perhaps, even for a few minutes, he could fall into this bliss and forget everything about tomorrow.

Troy placed a hand around his waist before lowering Ryan back to a lying position. His hand gently moved up to where Ryan's ribs were before making the journey back to his hip. Troy parted from their kiss, Ryan recollecting oxygen while kisses were trailed down his neck.

The athlete's hand drifted underneath Ryan's T-shirt, brushing his flat stomach. He could feel the signs of Troy's nervousness as his hands trembled on his skin, still unsure which step to take next. As Troy's face came up to meet his again, Ryan could see in the darkness his cheeks burning scarlet with the new hard-on.

"We can't do this," Ryan murmured when Troy tried to connect their mouths once more.

"Why not?" He questioned, his expression somewhat masked by the dark. "I'm ready."

"Troy, you're shaking," he pointed out. "Not to mention you don't exactly know what to do." Troy was about to protest otherwise when he continued. "Plus, this isn't the time to be doing this. I mean; you're leaving tomorrow. We can't…we can't just…we can't just have sex and then go our separate ways, you know."

"You're not ready," Troy stated after allowing a small silence, sitting beside him now. Ryan thought about it and then shook his head, tears he couldn't save rushing to fill his eyes. The lights from outside reflected their presence so Troy could see them too.

"I'm not," he allowed softly. His lower lip trembled as he tried to continue, "Don't you see, Troy, sex ruins everything. Everything. It's…it's just not even worth it if you're not even sure the person you're doing it with is going to be there forever. Dammit…I was so stupid to think…Luca…" His breathing hiccupped as the tears fell from his face. Troy pulled Ryan to him, rubbing his back and rocking him.

"I'm not like Luca," Troy tried to assure him. "Ryan, you've got to know…I would _never_ do anything to hurt you." Ryan released another sob into his shoulder.

"But we…" And even in this state, Ryan couldn't confess his decision.


	28. Never Easy to Say Goodbye

**A/N:** You all have the right to hate me now. So it's 12:40 a.m. (I'm not even rounding) and I whipped up, finished, and polished this chapter. So later in the morning (when normal people wake up), I'll read it again and see what crazy stuff I wrote. So far, when I read it over, I think it has potential to be a dramatic and wrenching scene if you que the theatrics in at the right time. I guess that's what actors are for. Guess I'll be calling Zac and Lucas up to run lines.

Oh, and btw, the ending totally reminds me of Brokeback Mountain. You haven't seen it? Watch it. Why? It's a pop cultural reference (if you are under 18, you did not get this advice from me).

**C**_h_a**p**_t_e**r** _T_w**e**_n_t**y**_-_E**i**_g_h**t**_:_ N**e**_v_e**r** _E_a**s**_y_ t**o** _S_a**y** _G_o**o**_d_b**y**_e_

The Albuquerque heat only intensified as the sun rose higher into the sky, although Troy seemed unbothered by it while loading the last of his things into the car. He was to leave in a half hour; that way he'd be back at Berkeley by sunset. With each passing minute though, he squirmed. He didn't want to leave. Specifically, he didn't want to leave Ryan. Who knew when the next time they'd be able to see each other? Christmas? Even that seemed too long. Unsatisfied, he closed the trunk as Ryan drew closer.

He smiled, but it felt off. How was he supposed to smile when he'd be gone in thirty minutes? Having to drive away from the blonde boy seemed worse than if he had to drive Ryan to the airport himself. However, Ryan's flight was scheduled for tomorrow and he still had to get his books and registration stuff. And perhaps he'd get a job on campus to help finance his schooling. There were still plenty of details he had to figure out.

"Is that the last of your stuff?" Ryan asked, his normally bright face weary and solemn. Troy suspected it was an after-effect of the night before and never failed to pain him.

"Yeah," he replied somberly. Ryan reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple booklets, offering them to Troy.

"I set up a checking account for you," he explained. "And deposited $100,000 into it. The money will cover anything you need: housing, food, school, gas, necessities, anything. All your account information is in here as well as a checkbook for it." He handed them to Troy. "You don't have to worry about money anymore." Troy tried blinking the shock away, but he couldn't.

"$100,000," he repeated. "Ryan…I can't take this. It's too much."

"Look, with all the student debt out there and the economy being the way it is, it's better if you keep it," he countered. "Consider it a gift." Troy looked at the booklets in his hand, feeling uncomfortable holding all this money.

"I'll…I'll pay you back," he insisted. "Promise."

"You don't have to," Ryan remarked.

"I feel bad about taking this much, Ry," he tried elaborating. "So if you ever expect me to take it, let me pay you back when I can."

"If that's how you truly feel, I guess I can't stop you," he allowed. "But, if you just want to keep it, that's okay too."

"Yeah, so thank your dad for me for loaning this money," he said. "He has no idea how much this means to me." Ryan shuffled his feet, a small smile lighting his features for a moment before fading away.

"With all due respect to my father, technically this isn't his money," Ryan clarified. "It's mine."

"You just have this much money lying around," Troy demanded.

"Not exactly," he corrected. "Technically this money is coming out of my inheritance. My father's been distributing money into me and sister's accounts since he married my mother. What's in there is like half of our inheritance. He keeps the other half until he's dead."

"Your family is richer than I thought."

Ryan chuckled a bit, shaking his head. Troy tucked the account stuff into his back pocket and stood quiet for a while; taking in the scenery he wouldn't be seeing for a while. The few palm trees planted in the desert space, the baby blue hued sky, the fake rock formations, the reds and oranges and yellows of the area, the pretentious summer resort he was starting to learn to call home, Ryan…his breath caught. Oh what he would give to never say goodbye to him. Reminded of their oncoming separation, the question of what their relationship would come to came back to mind.

"So, let me ask the million dollar question," he started. "What are we going to do after today?" Ryan suddenly seemed rigid.

"Yeah, about that," he began, his gaze shifting away from Troy's face. "Troy…we…we can't…do this."

"Do what?" Troy asked, although deep down he could feel what was coming but didn't want to hear it.

"This," Ryan said, gesturing out toward him. "This relationship." If a piano fell from the sky or he was strapped to a rocket or abducted by aliens and then probed by them, none of them would be as terrifying or as painful as the meaning of those words were. Troy couldn't believe he was still standing when he felt that pile of bricks topple onto his heart. It was even worse when it started to sink it.

"What?" He asked in disbelief, his face almost pale.

"Come on, Troy," Ryan tried reasoning, his eyes searching for somewhere to look that wasn't Troy's face. He caught a glimpse though, and couldn't believe the pain he'd caused already. The most agonizing part of it though was that he wasn't done yet. "We both knew from the start that it wouldn't last past summer."

"I thought we'd work it out," he argued. "Come up with a plan so we could see each other. You know: Thanksgiving, Christmas, anything!"

"It's not enough," he told him. "We're too far apart. Literally on opposite sides of the country. Long distance relationships never work out so let's cut to the chase now."

Troy fought his lower lip from trembling.

"There's a thing called Internet," he tried. "We don't have to break up. Please."

"I'm sorry."

Troy's face tightened, trying to prevent tears from coming to his eyes. The expression reminded Ryan of a few summers ago when he twirled Gabriella around the pool. He never really forgot that day since, at the time, he'd had the biggest crush on the athlete. Then to find him standing there, looking hurt and betrayed and slightly angry, his first impulse was to comfort him since he felt so guilty for causing the expression. He hadn't though. It wasn't his place. And neither was now, even when every instinct told him to.

Troy shook his head, trying to shake off everything that made him want to burst.

"It's just like how it was with Gabriella," he commented. "She pushed me away too."

"Gabriella wanted a relationship with you no matter the cost," Ryan stated sourly. "Every time she 'pushed' you away, it wasn't to get rid of you. It was to make sure you went after her. Even if it meant leaving your family, your friends, or your future. And you did exactly that every single time. Troy, I could never ask you to do any of that. It's not fair to you. And you shouldn't ask me to give up my dream either. Especially for a summer romance that's just started."

"I'm not asking you to move across the country!"

"Well, I can't be in a relationship with you if we're going to be that far apart," he explained. "And neither of us should have to move for this dumb relationship."

"Dumb?" he questioned. "Does this mean anything to you?"

"That's not what I meant–"

"Sounded like it," Troy replied, his voice growing louder. "You know, you're definitely not the Ryan I thought I was in love with."

"Oh, you prefer the high school Ryan?" He asked, his voice turning to venom. "Well suck it up, I'm not him anymore."

"Yeah, but I liked that Ryan," he said in return. "I admired that you could show up to school everyday with a smile on your face. I liked that you were open to everyone you met. I liked that you could stick up for yourself and show Chad who's boss. I liked your style of performing and you definitely had a way with dancing. It was those things that I fell in love with, and I thought I was fortunate enough to see that they hadn't died. You're still sweet and optimistic and you're amazing at choreography, but this? The guy I see right now? That's not you."

All words left Ryan momentarily. He wasn't sure how to fight back on that one. He couldn't exactly deny it, for he knew he'd grown skeptical and critical. The last of his naiveté that kept him charismatic and bubbly had been spent on Luca. From that experience, he'd learned caution when it came to his emotions. He couldn't throw everything he had into a relationship. It was too risky. And he couldn't make an exception to that new set of rules. Not even to Troy.

"Well then," he remarked. "You should go."

"That's it?" Troy asked. "Ry, you're breaking my heart…I loved you – I still _do_. I thought…I thought you felt the same." A tear slipped past his eye unexpectedly which he swatted away. "Did our relationship mean anything to you?"

"Dammit, that's the problem!" Ryan snapped. "I can't do this, Troy! I won't go through this again. I can't!" He took in an uneasy breath as he tried to calm himself again. "Just go. Please."

"No goodbyes?" Troy inquired. "Not even one last –" Ryan shook his head.

"It's just better if you leave," he insisted. "Just a clean break. You know, with no strings attached."

"So you break my heart and then have _me_ leave _you_," he shook his head as he went over to open the driver's door.

"I gave you some insurance for it though," he replied.

"I don't want your _money_," he said frostily. "You can have it back for all I care." He reached for his pocket.

"Keep it," Ryan reminded him. "You need it more than I do." Troy sluggishly shoved both back into his pocket again. He then took a moment to catch his breath before looking Ryan in the eyes.

"The stupid thing is," he admitted. "I still love you." He then got into his car, starting the engine. Ryan got out of the way as the Impala headed for the gates, his composure falling apart as the he watched Troy drive away from Lava Springs. He felt devastated, his sorrow drenched in melancholy, but in a way unlike how he felt when he found Luca cheating on him. This one was amplified and infinitely worse.

Meanwhile, Troy drove out of Lava Springs; the tears he'd been wasting energy trying to stop were running freely and they were indomitable. Each one that slid past, he wiped away with the back of his hand as quickly as he could.

He never once looked back.


	29. Je Suis Si Loin de Vous

**A/N:** "The best of us can find happiness in misery" - Fall Out Boy. Welcome back! The chapter title is in French and literally translates to: I am so far from you. I actually figured that one out by myself since I knew je, suis, and vous hahaha. Yeah, my French isn't the greatest. It doesn't help that they don't offer it as a language at school. So I'm taking Spanish which is close enough.

Also, Si Loin de Vous is a song by Nâdiya of which I don't own.

Oh, and sorry for the lack of enthusiasm in this chapter, I've got a headache and didn't feel like writing so much. Or editing for that matter. And fanfiction lacks having different fonts. I understand why they do it and I'm cool with it because I agree it would be distracting, but when you want to show something that is per se written on a typewriter in a story, they should at least offer Courier. That's all. A tout a l'heure.

**C**_h_a**p**_t_e**r** _T_w**e**_n_t**y**_-_N**i**_n_e**:** _J_e **S**_u_i**s** _S_i **L**_o_i**n** _d_e **V**_o_u**s**

"You're an idiot."

"Look Shar, I don't want to talk about it," Ryan replied bitterly into the phone. "So can we just get over it?"

"You know," she punctuated. "I always stood behind you every time you asked me for it. But this was cruel. Not only to Troy, but to you too. I can't allow it."

"If you don't quit talking about it, I'll hang up on you," Ryan threatened.

"I just don't want you to be miserable," she explained.

"Well, thank you for caring," he said. "But I'm doing fine." _Liar_. His heart ached. His mind was cluttered. He was even wearing striped pants with patterned socks. Yet somehow he was able to push up a face and combat the consequences by keeping himself preoccupied with back to school paraphernalia. And New York, being the city that it was, had much to offer for him.

On his second day already, he had unpacked, received his schedule for the oncoming year, went out to lunch with Blake from his tap class, shopped for clothes at Barney's, stocked groceries, and registered for a yoga class. He still had a few errands left on his list, but keeping busy seemed to be helping since his attention was focused on what he was doing and not drifting to Troy and what it must be like in Berkeley. Or fantasizing what would've happened if he hadn't broken up with him.

However, there were the few times that broke through his overly preoccupied schedule and stopped him cold. Specifically when Troy texted him. Ryan wasn't sure how Troy could manage to continue talking to him, but he did. The first he heard from him was after he landed in New York, checking his missed messages and calls while being taxied to his loft. The message simply read:

Hope u landed ok! New york will b a blast!

If u c Luca, b sure to flip him off 4 me.

Miss u. Call me?

Ryan wasn't sure how to respond, so he didn't reply or call. He didn't delete the message either, often looking at it during those off chances he wasn't occupied with something. Later, though, in the morning of his second day back to the city, he received another message:

Good morning!

It wasn't as detailed as the first, but it left Ryan breathless nonetheless. It still awed him that Troy was trying to communicate with him. In fact, it almost seemed they were still friends.

When that revelation hit him during his lunch with Blake, he nearly jumped up and left the restaurant. Why hadn't he thought of it before? Sure, he had ended his relationship with Troy but it didn't mean they couldn't be friends. Excited with that prospect, he took his phone out underneath the table and finally texted back. Blake was too caught up telling Ryan about his summer to notice.

Hey

Not even a minute passed before he got his response:

Srry Ry, can't talk. Gtg ttyl, k?

The devastation hit him like a train.

Which was why he was becoming frustrated with Sharpay during their little talk while he was trying on some new shoes at Barney's. He didn't want to talk about Troy or the fact that breaking up with him was one of the worst mistakes in his life (although he couldn't count it as _the_ worst because it made him feel needy). So after they finally began to navigate their conversation away from that topic, it wasn't long before he told her he had to go.

"Yeah Shar, I uh, got to pick up my dry cleaning," he told her and somehow convinced himself that it wasn't exactly a lie. He would _eventually_ pick up the clothes. He just had something he had to do first.

**x** _x_ x **X** _x_ x **x**

Ryan took a breath to try to settle his nerves. However, that tactic did little to cure the butterflies. He felt absolutely humiliated standing where he was, but he knew he needed the closure. And to do it civilly as well.

A billion thoughts crossed his mind, most of them doubts of his actions. As those thoughts grew louder, he knew he had to just do it before he talked himself out of it. He traced the numbers on the door with his mind, a last fidgeting before he dared to knock. 216. Two one six. Two sixteen. Two hundred sixteen. Wow, there were so many ways he could say multi-digit numbers. _Focus!_ His mind commanded and he finally took that step forward.

He knocked. His heart beat wildly in his chest as he waited for a response from the other side. Seconds ticked by as the door finally creaked open.

They both stood there for a moment, digesting the fact that they were face to face for the first time in months. Luca looked a bit different now: his skin darker, his face weary, his heart broken while Ryan seemed more confident and put-together.

"Ry," his name barely left his mouth, standing there in disbelief. Catching himself, he added, "–an." He then stepped forward and embraced him, pulling him close. Ryan didn't deny the action, instead finding himself returning the hug as well.

"It's so good to see you," Luca added before parting from their embrace, gently caressing his cheek.

"Luca, we – we've got to talk," Ryan told him.

He nodded. "Of course," he agreed. "Would you like to come in?" Ryan followed Luca into the apartment he knew so well, the emotions normally associated with the mediocre interior (and with the Italian boy for that matter) completely gone. In fact, all those feelings he thought he still had for Luca were just memories of how he felt. It was a weird realization.

Indeed, things were going to be different as the door clicked shut.


	30. Walk a Thousand Miles

**A/N: **Finally done! Yay! I'm going to play "We Made It" at full blast for the rest of the day! Special thanks to everyone; my reviewers, my favoriters (not a word), my subscribers (hey, better than alerters), and all of you who read something even if it was one sentence and you thought, 'wow this sucks' and left. You're all appreciated since it's because of you all that made this story see the end! So thank you! Hopefully you'll all check back soon since I've got five ideas(!) for new tryan stories. Most of which nobody's even written about yet (YES!). In fact, I'm going to start researching today which…it is what it is. Bring support and tissues please and danke! P.S. Mascot: Bearcats. How ironic is that?

**C**_h_a**p**_t_e**r** _T_h**i**_r_t**y**_:_ W**a**_l_k **a** _T_h**o**_u_s**a**_n_d **M**_i_l**e**_s_

"So I talked to Luca today," Ryan informed Troy as he fixed his dinner, cutting up frozen chicken breast to cook over the stove, his cell phone situated between his shoulder and ear as he transported the few cut up pieces he had to the pan.

"Really?" Troy questioned, waiting a few moments to inquire, "how'd that go?"

"It actually went well," Ryan admitted. "We sorted some things out. He apologized for what he did and I came around and forgave him."

"No bitch fighting?"

Ryan rolled his eyes. "Troy, Troy, Troy. You act like we couldn't have been civil about it."

"I wouldn't," he replied frankly.

Ryan grabbed a new knife and platter to start on the vegetables, mentally calculating how much he wanted to use so as not to have leftovers.

"Anyway, I told him about us," Ryan continued, his jaw flexing slightly.

"Was he jealous?" Troy asked eagerly.

"No," he responded. "In fact, he told me I shouldn't let you go. That I deserve someone who will treat me right." Ryan paused a moment, even his hands coming to a stand still. "I'm starting to think he was right."

"I could've told you that," Troy scoffed on the other end.

Ryan grabbed a paper towel and wiped off his hands before holding the phone to his ear.

"Look, I know we didn't end on a good note," he said. "But I was thinking, if we're both not doing anything after college, maybe we could give it another shot."

"Sorry Ry, that doesn't cut it for me," he answered.

Ryan blinked hard before trying to focus on making his dinner again. "Yeah, okay," he said absently, trying to not let that bother him. "I get it."

"Ryan, I'm not saying I don't want to be with you," Troy clarified, sensing that he was unnerved. "I'm just saying I don't want to wait that long." Ryan nodded, forgetting Troy couldn't actually see the motion.

"So how's Berkeley," he asked instead. "Glad to be back?"

"Eh," Troy replied. "It's not the same as New York."

"But things are working out for you, aren't they?" He wondered.

"Yeah," he allowed. A knock interrupted their conversation. Ryan looked up.

"Hey Troy, I've got to go," he said abruptly. "Someone's at the door."

"Well, who is it," he asked.

"I don't know," he answered. "But I'll talk to you later."

"Is it Luca?"

"What? No!" He said defensively as he made his way from his kitchenette to the door.

"It is, isn't it?"

"No, it's not!" He insisted, his voice lowering. "But I got to go now. Bye." He hung up before Troy could protest anymore and promptly opened the door. Before he could manage a greeting, he was hit hard by surprise as he found Troy putting his own phone away. When their eyes finally met, the basketball star released a grin.

"Miss me?" He wondered cockily. Ryan didn't wait another second to hug him, still in disbelief that Troy was standing right in front of him. Troy embraced him too, squeezing him softly.

"What are you doing here?" Ryan asked, loosening his grip so they could talk but refusing to let go in case Troy would disappear.

"I realized I wasn't going to lose you," he explained. "If there's one thing I learned from your relationship with Luca, it's that when you've got something special, you can't lose it. No matter what." He let the words sink in. "Otherwise you'll end up regretting it for the rest of your life." He smiled lightly, giving Ryan a bit of reassurance. "So I turned around before I made it to the border."

"I wasn't asking you to follow me though," Ryan insisted. "Your friends, your family – they all live in Albuquerque. You should've stayed with them."

"I talked to them," he reasoned. "I even stopped by and talked to my folks for a bit. And they all said I should do what makes me happy. So I made some calls and transferred to Baruch College here in New York. They're willing to let me do basketball and theater, just like Berkeley!" His face lit up, impressed with himself for being able to work all that out.

"I thought that was a business school," Ryan interjected.

"Well," he said. "On the off chance I don't become an NBA star or end up on a toothpaste commercial, I should have something to fall back on. I'd make a great CEO of a giant corporation, don't you think?" He lifted his eyebrows suggestively. Ryan never thought of business as sexy until he heard Troy phrase it like that.

"Yes you would," he allowed, laughing a little. "So how'd you find me anyway? I don't ever recall telling you my address."

"Sharpay," he answered. "She said she owed you one. In fact, she helped out a _lot_. She gave me your address, set up my flight here, and even helped me to get into Baruch."

"Wow," he commented, making a note to get her something to thank her. "I can't believe she did that."

"But hey," Troy said, gently bumping his forehead against his. "I'm here; I'm queer – " They both broke out into small smiles. "And I love you." Ryan smiled, still in a daze that Troy was standing right there in front of him.

"I love you too," he said quietly, the words feeling strangely effortless to say. Troy closed the gap between them, moving his lips softly against his, teasing him with his tongue. Ryan returned his kisses just as eagerly, wrapping his arms around his neck.

The only way to describe Troy's presence was a sheer miracle. In fact, their whole relationship seemed plausible by a simple lucky flip of the coin. For it was hard to believe that the boy Ryan Evans had been crushing on since eighth grade was finally requiting his feelings nearly seven years later. It was also impossible to believe that Troy Bolton could ever love anyone more than Gabriella. Granted, they didn't have the best timing for starting up a relationship, but they'd make it work. For this was something neither one of them wanted to loose.


End file.
